parfleche

American  

[pahr-flesh, pahr-flesh] / ˈpɑr flɛʃ, pɑrˈflɛʃ /

noun

1. a rawhide that has been dried after having been soaked in a solution of lye and water to remove the hair.

2. an article or object, as a case, pouch, etc., made of such rawhide.

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parfleche British  

/ ˈpɑːflɛʃ /

noun

1. a sheet of rawhide that has been dried after soaking in lye and water to remove the hair

2. an object, such as a case, made of this

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Etymology

Origin of parfleche

1820–30; < Canadian French parflèche, equivalent to French par ( er ) to parry ( para- ² ) + flèche arrow

Example Sentences

She won the best in class for youth for her painted parfleche purse.

From New York Times • Aug. 21, 2015

Then everybody began to sing hard, and four young men pounded with sticks on a parfleche, in time to the music.

From When Buffalo Ran by Grinnell, George Bird

From a long parfleche sack the Raven chief took a slender stick, beautifully ornamented with many-colored feathers.

From Blackfeet Indian Stories by Grinnell, George Bird

The other old men who are to join them and the two medicinemen go in while the two women remain seated on a robe just west of it with the parfleche beside them.

From The Sun Dance of the Blackfoot Indians by Wissler, Clark

Carson sprang over, clear across a place where the stream was compressed among rocks, but the parfleche sole of my moccasin glanced from the icy rock, and precipitated me into the river.

From The Life of Kit Carson Hunter, Trapper, Guide, Indian Agent and Colonel U.S.A. by Ellis, Edward Sylvester