Fur

/fɜː/ conj, name, noun, prep, verb, slang

conj, name, noun, prep, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: The hairy coat of various mammal species, especially when fine, soft and thick.
  • Grammar: fur is listed as conj, name, noun, prep, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: achievement, alerion, animal charge, annulet.
  • Useful contrasts: baldness, bare skin, faux fur.
  • Usage evidence: The colonists bartered with the natives for fur.

How to use "fur"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fur" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fur" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fur" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fur" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "fur" is acting as conj, name, noun, prep, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "achievement" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "fur", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The hairy coat of various mammal species, especially when fine, soft and thick. uncountable
  2. 2
    A member of a Nilo-Saharan people of western Sudan.
  3. 3
    dense coat of fine silky hairs on mammals (e.g., cat or seal or weasel) wordnet
  4. 4
    The hairy skins of animals used as a material for clothing. uncountable
  5. 5
    a garment made of animal pelts or synthetic fur wordnet
Show 13 more definitions
  1. 6
    An animal pelt used to make, trim or line clothing. countable

    "During the colonial period, Britain used Canada as a major source of furs."

  2. 7
    the dressed hairy coat of a mammal wordnet
  3. 8
    A garment made of fur. countable

    "November 17, 1716, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, letter to the Countess of Mar wrapped up in my furs"

  4. 9
    A coating or lining resembling fur in function and/or appearance.; A thick pile of fabric. uncountable
  5. 10
    A coating or lining resembling fur in function and/or appearance.; The soft, downy covering on the skin of a peach. uncountable
  6. 11
    A coating or lining resembling fur in function and/or appearance.; The deposit formed on the interior of boilers and other vessels by hard water. uncountable
  7. 12
    A coating or lining resembling fur in function and/or appearance.; The layer of epithelial debris on a tongue. uncountable
  8. 13
    One of several patterns or diapers used as tinctures, such as ermine and vair. countable
  9. 14
    Rabbits and hares, as opposed to partridges and pheasants (called feathers). uncountable
  10. 15
    A furry, a member of the furry fandom. countable

    ""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.""

  11. 16
    Human body hair, especially when abundant. informal, uncountable
  12. 17
    Pubic hair. slang, uncountable, vulgar
  13. 18
    Sexual attractiveness. slang, uncountable, vulgar
Verb
  1. 1
    To cover with fur or a fur-like coating. transitive
  2. 2
    To become covered with fur or a fur-like coating. intransitive

    "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."

  3. 3
    To level a surface by applying furring to it. transitive
Conjunction
  1. 1
    Pronunciation spelling of for. alt-of, pronunciation-spelling
Preposition
  1. 1
    Pronunciation spelling of for. alt-of, pronunciation-spelling

    "A’most the moment as she lighted heer, all so desolate, she found (as she believed) a friend; a decent woman as spoke to her about the needle-work as she had been brought up to do, about finding plenty of it fur her, about a lodging fur the night, and making secret inquiration concerning of me and all at home, to-morrow."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    The language of this people.

Synonyms

All synonyms
achievementalerionanimal chargeannuletargentarmorial bearings

Antonyms

baldnessbare skinfaux fursynthetic fur

Example

"The colonists bartered with the natives for fur."

Common questions

What does "fur" mean?

The hairy coat of various mammal species, especially when fine, soft and thick.

What is a synonym for "fur"?

Common synonyms include: achievement, alerion, animal charge, annulet, argent, armorial bearings.

How do you use "fur" in a sentence?

The colonists bartered with the natives for fur.

How do you pronounce "fur"?

Pronounced /fɜː/.

Etymology

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 πῶῠ̈ (pôŭ̈, “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.

More for "fur"

Synonyms

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