Pelt Means a Skin and Also to Throw Hard
A pelt is an animal skin with the fur on. A separate pelt means to hurl or to rain heavily.
A pelt is the skin of an animal with the fur still on it; as a verb, *pelt* means to hurl things at someone or, of rain, to fall hard. The noun comes from Latin *pellis*, a skin, which also gives *pelisse* and, through a different route, *film* — a thin skin. The verb is separate and its origin is unclear, though it may come from the same Latin word by way of stripping a hide. *At full pelt*, meaning at top speed, belongs to the verb sense.
- An animal skin. *A beaver pelt.*
- To hurl at. *Pelting with snowballs.*
- To rain hard. *It is pelting down.*
- At full pelt. *Running at full pelt.*
- Latin — *pellis*, a skin. *The noun.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pelt | A pelt. |
| Verb | pelt | Pelting. |
| Past | pelted | Pelted. |
| Related | pelisse | A pelisse. |
| Latin | pellis | A skin. |
- Traders bought beaver pelts.Fur.
- The rain was pelting down.Weather.
- He ran at full pelt.Speed.
The pellis family
- Pelt — a fur-bearing skin
- Pelisse — a fur-lined cloak
- Pellicle — a thin skin or film
- Film — from a Germanic word for skin, same idea
- Surplice — from *super pellicium*, worn over fur
The noun is from Latin *pellis*, a skin, through Old French. The verb is of uncertain origin.
What is the difference between a pelt and a hide?
A pelt keeps the fur; a hide is usually the skin alone, destined for leather.
Where does at full pelt come from?
From the verb sense of hurling or driving hard, giving the idea of moving at top speed.