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fur

 - 10 dictionary results

fur

[fur] noun, adjective, verb, furred, fur⋅ring.
–noun
1. the fine, soft, thick, hairy coat of the skin of a mammal.
2. the skin of certain animals, as the sable, ermine, or beaver, covered with such a coat, used for lining, trimming, or making garments.
3. a garment made of fur.
4. any coating resembling or suggesting fur, as certain matter on the tongue.
5. Heraldry. any conventional representation of a fur, as ermine, vair, potent, or their variations.
–adjective
6. of or pertaining to fur, animal skins, dressed pelts, etc.: a fur coat; a fur trader.
–verb (used with object)
7. to line, face, or trim, with fur, as a garment.
8. Building Trades. to apply furring to (a wall, ceiling, etc.).
9. to clothe (a person) with fur.
10. to coat with foul or deposited matter.
11. make the fur fly,
a. to cause a scene or disturbance, esp. of a violent nature; make trouble: When the kids got mad they really made the fur fly.
b. to do things quickly: She always makes the fur fly when she types.

Origin:
1300–50; ME furre (n.), deriv. of furren to trim with fur < AF furrer, OF fo(u)rrer orig. to encase, deriv. of fuerre sheath < Gmc; akin to OE fōdder case, sheath, ON fōthr, Gk pma


furless, adjective

fur.

furlong; furlongs.

fur⋅long

[fur-lawng, -long]
–noun
a unit of distance, equal to 220 yards (201 m) or 1/8 mile (0.2 km). Abbreviation: fur.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE furlang length of a furrow. See furrow, long 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To fur
fur   (fûr)   
n.  
  1. The thick coat of soft hair covering the skin of a mammal, such as a fox or beaver.

  2. The hair-covered, dressed pelt of such a mammal, used in the making of garments and as trimming or decoration.

  3. A garment made of or lined with the dressed pelt of a mammal.

  4. A coating similar to the pelt of a mammal.

tr.v.   furred, fur·ring, furs
  1. To cover, line, or trim with fur.

  2. To provide fur garments for.

  3. To cover or coat as if with fur.

  4. To line (a wall or floor) with furring.


[Middle English furre, probably from furren, to line with fur, from Old French forrer, from forre, fuerre, sheath, lining, of Germanic origin; see pā- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
fur

  1. n.
    the police. (A play on the fuzz.) : I think the fur is onto you, Rocko.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

fur 
1301, probably from O.Fr. fourrer "to line, sheathe," from fuerre "sheath, covering," from Frank. *fodr (cf. O.H.G. >*poul-/*pul-fotar "a cover"), from P.Gmc. *fothram "sheath." The n. (c.1366) is from the verb. It was first applied c.1430 to "animal hair still on the animal." Furrier (1576) is on the model of clothier.
"I'le make the fur Flie 'bout the eares of the old Cur." [Butler, "Hudibras," 1663]

furlong 
O.E. furlang "measure of distance" (roughly 220 yards), originally the length of a furrow in the common field of 10 acres, from furh "furrow" + lang "long." But the "acre" of the common field being variously measured, the furlong was fixed 9c. on the stadium, one-eighth of a Roman mile.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: fur
Pronunciation: 'f&r
Function: noun
often attributive 1 : the hairy coat of a mammal especially when fine, soft, and thick
2 : a coat of epithelial debris on the tongue
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

fur

see make the dust (fur) fly.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia

fur

fine, soft, hairy covering or coat of mammals that has been important to humankind throughout history, chiefly for warmth but also for decorative and other purposes.

Learn more about fur with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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