fur

Etymology 1

From Middle English furre, forre, from Anglo-Norman forre, fuerre (“a case; sheath”), from Frankish *fōdar, from Proto-West Germanic *fōdr, from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą (“sheath”) (compare Old English fōdor (“sheaf”), Dutch voering (“lining”), German Futter (“lining”), Gothic 𐍆𐍉𐌳𐍂 (fōdr, “sheath”)), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-, *poh₂- (“to protect”) (compare Lithuanian piemuō (“protection”), Ancient Greek πῶυ (pôu, “flock”), πῶμα (pôma, “lid”), ποιμήν (poimḗn, “shepherd”), Old Armenian հաւրան (hawran, “herd, flock”), Northern Kurdish pawan (“to watch over”), Sanskrit पाति (pāti, “he watches, protects”). The verb is from Middle English furren, from Anglo-Norman furrer, forrer, fourrer (“to line, stuff, fill”), from the noun.

noun

1. The hairy coat of various mammal species, especially when fine, soft and thick.
2. The hairy skin of an animal processed into clothing for humans.
   November 17, 1716, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, letter to the Countess of Mar wrapped up in my furs
3. A pelt used to make, trim or line clothing apparel.
4. A coating, lining resembling fur in function and/or appearance.
   1. A thick pile of fabric.
   2. The soft, downy covering on the skin of a peach.
   3. The deposit formed on the interior of boilers and other vessels by hard water.
   4. The layer of epithelial debris on a tongue.
5. (heraldry) One of several patterns or diapers used as tinctures, such as ermine and vair.
6. (hunting, uncountable) Rabbits and hares, as opposed to partridges and pheasants (called feathers).
7. A furry; a member of the furry subculture.
   "You want to know what brings furries together?" she asks. "Furs are here because they don't fit in anywhere else. For real furs, this is the only place they feel comfortable." 2006, Shari Caudron, Who Are You People?
8. (vulgar, slang) Pubic hair.
9. (vulgar, slang) Sexual attractiveness.

verb

1. (transitive) To cover with fur or a fur-like coating.
2. (intransitive) To become covered with fur or a fur-like coating.
   The college water supply was practically undrinkable because of its salinity and the pipes furred up so rapidly that they had to be replaced every few years. 2015, Tom Michell, The Penguin Lessons
3. (transitive, construction) To level a surface by applying furring to it.

Etymology 2

conj

1. Pronunciation spelling of for.

prep

1. Pronunciation spelling of for.