pelt

¹

[pelt]

verb (used with object)

1. to attack or assail with repeated blows or with missiles.

2. to throw (missiles).

3. to drive by blows or missiles.

   The child pelted the cows home from the fields.

4. to assail vigorously with words, questions, etc.

5. to beat or rush against with repeated forceful blows.

   The wind and rain pelted the roofs and walls of the houses for four days.

verb (used without object)

1. to strike blows; beat with force or violence.

2. to throw missiles.

3. to hurry.

4. to beat or pound unrelentingly.

   The wind, rain, and snow pelted against the castle walls.

5. to cast abuse.

noun

1. the act of pelting.

2. a vigorous stroke; whack.

3. a blow with something thrown.

4. speed.

   running at full pelt.

5. an unrelenting or repeated beating, as of rain or wind.

pelt

²

[pelt]

noun

1. the untanned hide or skin of an animal.

2. Facetious.,  the human skin.

pelt

¹

/ pɛlt /

verb

1. (tr) to throw (missiles) at (a person)

2. (tr) to hurl (insults) at (a person)

3. (intr; foll by along, over, etc) to move rapidly; hurry

4. to rain heavily

noun

1. a blow

2. speed (esp in the phrase at full pelt )

pelt

²

/ pɛlt /

noun

1. the skin of a fur-bearing animal, such as a mink, esp when it has been removed from the carcass

2. the hide of an animal, stripped of hair and ready for tanning

Other Word Forms

• unpelted adjective
• peltish adjective
• peltless adjective
• pelter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pelt¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; Middle English pilten, pelten; further origin uncertain

Origin of pelt²

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; perhaps back formation from peltry; compare Old French pelete, derivative of Latin pellis “skin”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pelt¹

C15: of uncertain origin, perhaps from _pellet

Origin of pelt²

C15: perhaps back formation from _peltry

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in one's pelt, naked.

Synonym Study

See skin.

Example Sentences

Are those opposing coaches looking for their Carson Palmer pelt on the wall?

From Los Angeles Times

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has said he was pelted with bottles and had a knife pulled on him while speaking to migrants in a camp in northern France.

From BBC

Settlers blocked the road and pelted the trucks with stones, smashing windscreens.

From BBC

In East Los Angeles, Mexican American crowds had greeted him rapturously; in Van Nuys, his campaign cars were pelted with stones.

From Los Angeles Times

The next week, Hogan, now wearing black and white, got pelted with garbage again.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assail 
• batter 
• bombard 
• hurl 
• pepper 
• pummel 
• shower