Pelt

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -É›lt

From Old French pelette, diminutive of pel ("a skin"), from Latin pellis. Alternatively a contraction of peltry ("skins") from the same Old French and Latin roots.

Full definition of pelt

Noun

1. The skin of a beast with the hair on; a raw or undressed hide; a skin preserved with the hairy or woolly covering on it.
• 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher Chapter 1, They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect.
2. The body of any quarry killed by a hawk.
3. (humorous) Human skin.

Related terms

• fell
• pelisse
• pell
• pellagra
• pellage
• pellicle
• peltry
• surplice

Possible contraction of pellet

Verb

1. (transitive) To bombard, as with missiles.They pelted the attacking army with bullets.
2. (transitive) To throw; to use as a missile.The children pelted apples at us.
3. (intransitive) To rain or hail heavily.It's pelting down out there!
4. (intransitive) To throw out words.
• ShakespeareAnother smothered seems to pelt and swear.
5. (transitive) To beat or hit, especially repeatedly.
6. To move rapidly, especially in or on a conveyance.The boy pelted down the hill on his toboggan.

Noun

1. A blow or stroke from something thrown.

Anagrams

• lept