pelt1
- to attack or assail with repeated blows or with missiles.
- to throw (missiles).
- to drive by blows or missiles: The child pelted the cows home from the fields.
- to assail vigorously with words, questions, etc.
- to beat or rush against with repeated forceful blows: The wind and rain pelted the roofs and walls of the houses for four days.
- to strike blows; beat with force or violence.
- to throw missiles.
- to hurry.
- to beat or pound unrelentingly: The wind, rain, and snow pelted against the castle walls.
- to cast abuse.
- the act of pelting.
- a vigorous stroke; whack.
- a blow with something thrown.
- speed.
- an unrelenting or repeated beating, as of rain or wind.
Origin of pelt1
pelt2
- the untanned hide or skin of an animal.
- Facetious. the human skin.
- in one's pelt, Facetious. naked.
Origin of pelt2
Synonyms
See more synonyms for pelt on Thesaurus.comExamples from the Web for pelt
Contemporary Examples
Every sort of pelt, skin, or plumage was part of this collection.
Milan Fashion Week’s Big Finale: Versace and Dolce & Gabbana Wow, While Armani Falls ShortRobin Givhan
February 27, 2012
Historical Examples
Run to the farm as hard as you can pelt, and bring Turkey to meet us.
Ranald Bannerman's BoyhoodGeorge MacDonald
If you capture me you will get at the most no more than five thousand pieces of copper for my pelt.
The Chinese Fairy BookVarious
As well might he have sent him a hundred figs wherewith to pelt the army of Valentino!
The Shame of MotleyRaphael Sabatini
Did you expect to pelt the enemy with these, or did you reckon upon no enemy at all?
Love-at-ArmsRaphael Sabatini
Fig. 39 shows incisions to make in removing a pelt for a symmetrical rug.
TaxidermyLeon Luther Pray
pelt1
- (tr) to throw (missiles) at (a person)
- (tr) to hurl (insults) at (a person)
- (intr; foll by along, over, etc) to move rapidly; hurry
- (intr often foll by down) to rain heavily
- a blow
- speed (esp in the phrase at full pelt)
Word Origin
pelt2
- the skin of a fur-bearing animal, such as a mink, esp when it has been removed from the carcass
- the hide of an animal, stripped of hair and ready for tanning
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for pelt
v.
"to strike" (with something), c.1500, of unknown origin; perhaps from early 13c. pelten "to strike," variant of pilten "to thrust, strike," from an unrecorded Old English *pyltan, from Medieval Latin *pultiare, from Latin pultare "to beat, knock, strike." Or from Old French peloter "to strike with a ball," from pelote "ball" (see pellet (n.)) [Klein]. Watkins says the source is Latin pellere "to push, drive, strike." Related: Pelted; pelting.
n.
"skin of a fur-bearing animal," early 15c., of uncertain origin, perhaps a contraction of pelet (late 13c. in Anglo-Latin), from Old French pelete "fine skin, membrane," diminutive of pel "skin," from Latin pellis "skin, hide" (see film (n.)). Or perhaps the source of the English word is Anglo-French pelterie, Old French peletrie "fur skins," from Old French peletier "furrier," from pel.