Pelts

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The coverings of various animals, frequently employed in fashion or interior design
2. The skins of animals that retain their fur, often utilized in making garments or decorative items
3. Furs taken from animals, commonly fashioned into clothing or ornamental pieces

Etymology: "Pelts" is the plural of "pelt," which in its noun sense means the skin of an animal with its fur still attached, especially the hide of a sheep or mink. The noun traces back through Middle English "pelt," meaning sheepskin without its wool, to the Old French "pelete," a thin film or skin, and ultimately to the Latin "pellis," meaning animal hide. The Latin root goes back to a very old Indo-European word meaning to cover or wrap, which is why an animal's skin and a covering cloth share a common ancestor. The verb is a different story, and it is the one most people would not expect. Its origin is uncertain, but it is probably linked to a Middle English verb meaning to push, strike, or cast down, which may descend from the Latin "pultare," to beat or knock. So "to pelt someone with stones" and "a pelt of fur" come from separate roots that happen to look identical. The noun is in fact derived from the verb in this case, the reverse of what you might guess, since a pelt is the skin that was once stripped from the animal.

Synonyms: furs, skins, hides, coats, shrouds