pelt

¹ American  

[pelt] / pɛlt /

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.

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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 American  

[pelt] / pɛlt /

noun

1. the untanned hide or skin of an animal.

2. Facetious. the human skin.

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idioms

1. in one's pelt, naked.

pelt ¹ British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a blow

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

pelt ² British  

/ 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

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Related Words

See skin.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

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”

Example Sentences

A hand swoops in to grab mine, pulling me toward one of the giant spruces, and we get under just as hail starts pelting down.

From Literature

Alas, Mr. Powell and his colleagues overcame their hesitation this time and we all got pelted with dots.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wolf ignored her and turned back to Tall Tailless, who was trying to tug off his pelt.

From Literature

Before he can answer, a raindrop pelts my forehead.

From Literature

I hardly felt the rain as it pelted down on me, covering the road and the rock walls on each side.

From Literature

Related Words

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