pelt

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈpelt 

1

: a usually undressed skin with its hair, wool, or fur

a sheep's pelt

2

: a skin stripped of hair or wool for tanning

pelt

2 of 4

verb (1)

pelted; pelting; pelts

transitive verb

: to strip off the skin or pelt of (an animal)

pelt

3 of 4

verb (2)

pelted; pelting; pelts

transitive verb

1

a

: to strike with a succession of blows or missiles

pelted him with stones

b

: to assail vigorously or persistently

pelted her with accusations

2

: hurl, throw

pelted snowballs at them

3

: to beat or dash repeatedly against

hailstones pelting the roof

intransitive verb

1

: to deliver a succession of blows or missiles

2

: to beat incessantly

3

: to move rapidly and vigorously : hurry

pelter noun

pelt

4 of 4

noun (2)

1

: blow, whack

2

chiefly British : a rapid pace : speed

—usually used in the phrase full pelt

A friend still has the three lines up his legs where he ran full pelt into a barbed wire fence.

—John Woodhouse

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• fur
• hide
• leather
• skin

Verb (2)

• barrel
• belt
• blast
• blaze
• blow
• bolt
• bomb [slang]
• bowl
• breeze
• bundle
• bustle
• buzz
• cannonball
• careen
• career
• chase
• course
• crack (on)
• dash
• drive
• fly
• hare
• hasten
• hie
• highball
• hotfoot (it)
• hump
• hurl
• hurry
• hurtle
• hustle
• jet
• jump
• motor
• nip
• race
• ram
• rip
• rocket
• run
• rush
• rustle
• scoot
• scurry
• scuttle
• shoot
• speed
• step
• tear
• travel
• trot
• whirl
• whisk
• zip
• zoom

Noun (2)

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of pelt in a Sentence

Noun (1)

caught beavers and sold the pelts to fur traders

Verb (2)

pelted away when the cops arrived

pelted snowballs at each other while waiting for the bus

pelted the other kids with pebbles

Noun (2)

gave the dog a sharp pelt on the nose with her rolled up newspaper

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Two years ago, the East Coast team’s fans made news during a matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, whose outfielders were pelted by debris after a New York win. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024

The reporters surged forward, surrounding him at the center of the clubhouse, pelting him with questions. —Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024

Noun

Edward’s parenting was particularly industrious, requiring his children to paint their own rooms, make their own clothes and earn extra cash by trapping and skinning muskrats to sell their pelts. —Emily Blackwood, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024

Spain, England, Russia and other colonial powers had been drawn to the region in this period by the allure of a fabled Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the prospect of acquiring highly coveted sea otter pelts to trade with Asia. —Corbin Reiff, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb (1)

Middle English, probably from pelett animal skin, from Anglo-French pelette — more at peltry

Verb (2)

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1568, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pelt

1 of 2 noun

ˈpelt 

: a usually unfinished skin with its hair, wool, or fur

pelt

2 of 2 verb

1

: to strike with a series of blows, missiles, or words

2

: hurl sense 1, throw

3

: to beat against again and again

4

: to move quickly

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pelt "skin and attached fur of an animal"

Verb

Middle English pelten "to hit with a series of blows, pelt"