dense coat of fine silky hairs on mammals (e.g., cat or seal or weasel)
"The cold wind blew through the thick fur of the sleeping wolf, keeping its body warm."
a garment made of animal pelts or synthetic fur
"She wore a luxurious fox fur to the winter gala."
The hairy coat of various mammal species, especially when fine, soft and thick.
"The fur tribe gathered at the riverbank to trade cattle with their neighbors."
A member of a Nilo-Saharan people of western Sudan.
In plain English: Fur is a group of people who live in western Sudan and speak a language related to others in Africa.
"The anthropologist studied the traditions and language of the Fur people during her fieldwork."
Usage: Use the noun form to describe an animal's natural hair covering rather than artificial materials like faux fur. When used as a verb, it specifically means to coat something in real animal pelts instead of synthetic fibers.
To cover with fur or a fur-like coating.
"The trapper carefully furred the edges of his boots to keep out the winter snow."
In plain English: To fur means to coat something with hair or a fuzzy material.
"The artisan carefully furred the vase with soft, gray wool."
Pronunciation spelling of for, representing African-American Vernacular English.
"The text notes that 'fur' is a pronunciation spelling of 'for' found in African-American Vernacular English."
Pronunciation spelling of for, representing African-American Vernacular English.
"In the movie's dialect scene, the actor pronounced the word as fur instead of for to represent African-American Vernacular English."
The language of this people.
"In ancient folklore, the tribe was believed to speak in a mystical fur that could not be understood by outsiders."
The word "fur" comes from the Frankish and Proto-Germanic roots for "sheath," reflecting its original sense of a protective covering. It entered English via Middle English to describe animal hair used as lining or outerwear, evolving directly from that meaning of protection.