pelt

¹ American  

[pelt] / pɛlt /

verb (used with object)

1. to attack or assail with repeated blows or with missiles.

2. to throw (missiles).

3. to drive by blows or missiles.

   The child pelted the cows home from the fields.

4. to assail vigorously with words, questions, etc.

5. to beat or rush against with repeated forceful blows.

   The wind and rain pelted the roofs and walls of the houses for four days.

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verb (used without object)

1. to strike blows; beat with force or violence.

2. to throw missiles.

3. to hurry.

4. to beat or pound unrelentingly.

   The wind, rain, and snow pelted against the castle walls.

5. to cast abuse.

noun

1. the act of pelting.

2. a vigorous stroke; whack.

3. a blow with something thrown.

4. speed.

   running at full pelt.

5. an unrelenting or repeated beating, as of rain or wind.

pelt ² American  

[pelt] / pɛlt /

noun

1. the untanned hide or skin of an animal.

2. Facetious. the human skin.

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idioms

1. in one's pelt, naked.

pelt ¹ British  

/ pɛlt /

verb

1. (tr) to throw (missiles) at (a person)

2. (tr) to hurl (insults) at (a person)

3. (intr; foll by along, over, etc) to move rapidly; hurry

4. to rain heavily

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noun

1. a blow

2. speed (esp in the phrase at full pelt )

pelt ² British  

/ pɛlt /

noun

1. the skin of a fur-bearing animal, such as a mink, esp when it has been removed from the carcass

2. the hide of an animal, stripped of hair and ready for tanning

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Related Words

See skin.

Other Word Forms

• pelter noun
• peltish adjective
• peltless adjective
• unpelted adjective

Etymology

Origin of pelt¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; Middle English pilten, pelten; further origin uncertain

Origin of pelt²

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; perhaps back formation from peltry; compare Old French pelete, derivative of Latin pellis “skin”

Example Sentences

The most viral moment came when Joe Wilkinson was giving a mock-serious speech about the RNLI, only to be pelted with a giant ball of pink paint, for no apparent reason.

From BBC

A man’s voice cut through the rain pelting the pitch-black Caribbean Sea, just audible between two boats tossed around by 10-foot waves.

From The Wall Street Journal

He said he felt "uncomfortable and unsafe" and that the Mosque had been pelted with eggs on one of the protest days.

From BBC

“Blood and a pelt, hmm! You drive a tough bargain, doggie. All right. Bring me that bowl of borscht, would you, big sister?”

From Literature

“Well, well, well—the wolf children and their governess. What are you doing up here, then? Other than pelting me with nuts, I mean?”

From Literature

Related Words

• assail
• batter
• bombard
• hurl
• pepper
• pummel
• shower