What does "pelf" mean?
Money, riches; gain, especially when dishonestly acquired; lucre, mammon.
Pelf
/pɛlf/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Money, riches; gain, especially when dishonestly acquired; lucre, mammon.
- Grammar: pelf is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: affluence, and pence, assets, boodle.
- Usage evidence: "Thus roused, her friends she gathers. All await / her summons, who the tyrant fear or hate. / Some ships at hand, chance-anchored in the bay / they seize and load them with the costly freight, / and far off o'er the deep is borne away / Pygmalion's hoarded pelf. A woman leads the way."
How to use "pelf"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pelf" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- 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 "pelf" 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 "pelf" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pelf" 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 "pelf" is acting as noun 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 "affluence" 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 "pelf", 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 Money, riches; gain, especially when dishonestly acquired; lucre, mammon. dated, derogatory, uncountable
"Raph. Sirra Hammon Hammon, dost thou thinke a shooe-maker is so base, to be a bawd to his own wife for cõmodity! take thy gold, choake with it: were I not lame, I would make thee eate thy words. Firke. A shoomaker sell his flesh and blood, oh indignitie! Hodg. Sirra, take up your pelfe, and be packing."
- 2 informal terms for money wordnet
- 3 Rubbish, trash; specifically (British, dialectal) refuse from plants. dated, uncountable
"Now for women, in ſtead of laborious ſtudies, they have curious, needleworkes, Cut-workes, ſpinning, bone-lace, and many prettie deviſes of their owne making, to adorne their houſes, […] Which to her gueſts ſhe ſhews, with all her pelfe, / Thus far my maides, but this I did my ſelf."
- 4 Dust; fluff. uncountable
- 5 A contemptible or useless person. Yorkshire, countable, derogatory
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
""Thus roused, her friends she gathers. All await / her summons, who the tyrant fear or hate. / Some ships at hand, chance-anchored in the bay / they seize and load them with the costly freight, / and far off o'er the deep is borne away / Pygmalion's hoarded pelf. A woman leads the way.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pelf"?
Common synonyms include: affluence, and pence, assets, boodle, booty, bottomless purse.
How do you use "pelf" in a sentence?
"Thus roused, her friends she gathers. All await / her summons, who the tyrant fear or hate. / Some ships at hand, chance-anchored in the bay / they seize and load them with the costly freight, / and far off o'er the deep is borne away / Pygmalion's hoarded pelf. A woman leads the way."
How do you pronounce "pelf"?
Pronounced /pɛlf/.
Etymology
From Late Middle English pelf, pelfe (“stolen goods, booty, spoil; forfeited property; money, riches; property; valuable object”), possibly from Anglo-Norman pelf (a variant of pelfre (“booty, loot”)) and Old French peufre (“frippery; rubbish”); further etymology uncertain, possibly a metathesis of Old French felpe, ferpe, frepe (“a rag”). The English word is perhaps related to Late Latin pelfa, pelfra, pelfrum (“forfeited or stolen goods”), Middle French peuffe and French peufe, peuffe (“old clothes; rubbish”) (Normandy), and pilfer.