fur

Multiple Entries:
  fur    fur.  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
fur/fɜː(r)/

▶noun

• 1 the short, fine, soft hair of certain animals.

  ■ the skin of an animal with fur on it, used in making or trimming garments.

  ■ Heraldry any of several heraldic tinctures representing animal skins in stylized form (e.g. ermine).

• 2 a coat made from fur.

• 3 Brit. a coating formed by hard water on the inside surface of a pipe, kettle, etc.

• 4 a coating formed on the tongue as a symptom of sickness.

▶verb (furs, furring, furred)

• 1 Brit. coat or clog with a deposit.

• 2 level (floor or wall timbers) by inserting strips of wood.

– phrases
fur and feather game mammals and birds.
the fur will fly informal there will be a fierce argument.

– derivatives
furless adjective,
-furred adjective.

– origin ME: from OFr. forrer ‘to line, sheathe’, from forre ‘sheath’, of Gmc origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
fur.

▶abbreviation furlong(s).