Furrieries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The trade or business of preparing, dressing, and dealing in furs for clothing and accessories; establishments specializing in the sale of fur garments and related products; the craft or occupation involving the manufacture and repair of fur items
2. Businesses engaged in processing animal pelts into wearable fur products; shops or firms dedicated to selling and customizing fur coats and accessories; artisan work focusing on creating and maintaining fur apparel
3. The commercial activity of transforming raw hides into fur clothing and goods; retail outlets that supply fur-related fashion items and services; skilled professional practice of tailoring and handling fur materials for consumer use

Etymology: "Furrieries" is the plural of "furriery," a noun for the trade of dressing and making fur goods. The base word is built on "furrier," someone who prepares or sells furs, which in turn comes from the Anglo-Norman and Old French "fourrier," a word for a person in charge of provisions or lodging, later narrowed to dealing in fur. The English word "fur" has an entirely separate, native origin, so the connection between the two is a meeting of different routes rather than a shared root. The plural form points to several distinct businesses or workshops rather than the trade as an abstract activity. Each sense the dictionary records, from pelt processing to retail shops and bespoke customizing, is covered by the same ending, so the plural simply counts the establishments and craft operations that share the name.

Synonyms: furrier shops, fur stores, furriers, furriers' workshops