What does fur mean?
Fur is the soft, dense hair that covers the skin of many mammals, including cats, dogs, foxes, rabbits, and mink. Because of its warmth and luxurious texture, fur has been prized for millennia as a material for clothing, linings, and trim, giving rise historically to a vast and lucrative fur trade that shaped the economies and exploration of North America and northern Europe. Today the word appears most often in phrases like "fur coat" and "fur collar," while "fake fur" or "faux fur" denotes synthetic imitations that have grown popular amid animal-welfare concerns. As a verb, "to fur" can mean to line a garment with fur, or — especially in British usage — to describe how kettles and pipes become coated with limescale. Rich in both literal and figurative associations, fur remains a word that connects fashion, commerce, ethics, and everyday household language.
The soft, thick hair covering the skin of certain mammals, or the skin with this hair attached, used as a material for garments and trim.
"The cat curled up on the rug, her long white fur gleaming in the sunlight."
Fur as a fashion material is now controversial in many markets, so writers often specify real versus faux fur.
To line, trim, or cover a garment with fur; alternatively, to become coated with a mineral deposit or scale.
"The old pipes had furred over with decades of hard-water deposits."
In the plural, furs typically refers collectively to fur garments or pelts rather than to multiple coats of hair on animals.
"The auction house displayed a rack of vintage furs from the 1920s."
The fur trade didn't just warm Europe — it bankrolled empires, opened up Canada, and made Hudson's Bay Company one of the world's oldest commercial powers.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fur
The word fur entered English in the Middle English period, borrowed from the Old French verb fourrer, meaning "to line or sheath" a garment — which is why early uses center on fur-lined clothing rather than the hair itself. Fourrer itself is usually traced back to a Germanic source, the same root behind words like fodder, meaning covering or provisioning material. From its original sense of lining garments, the term expanded naturally to describe both the animal hair itself and the dressed skin used as a commodity, a usage cemented by the medieval and early modern fur trade.
Related word forms
How fur is actually used
"Fur" carries strong connotations today because of animal-welfare debates; "faux" or "fake fur" is often used as the ethical alternative. In British English, "furred up" is a common informal way to describe limescale buildup in kettles and pipes.
Easily confused with fur
A fir is an evergreen coniferous tree, while fur is animal hair or a garment made from it — the two differ by a single letter.