fleece

See also: Fleece

English

Fleece in various colors (sense 3).

Etymology

From Middle English flees, flese, flus, fleos, from Old English flēos, flīes, flȳs, from Proto-West Germanic *fleus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fliːs/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːs

Noun

fleece (countable and uncountable, plural fleeces)

1. (uncountable) Hair or wool of a sheep or similar animal
   • 1730, Allan Ramsay, “[Act II, Scene IV]”, in The Gentle Shepherd: A Scots Paſtoral-Comedy, page 23:

     The Sun ſhall change, the Moon to change ſhall ceaſe; / The Gaits to clim-----the Sheep to yield the Fleece, / Ere ought by me be either ſaid or done, / Shall do thee Wrang, I ſwear by all aboon.

   • 1837, William Youatt, “Preface”, in Sheep: Their Breeds, Management and Diseases. […] (Library of Useful Knowledge), London: Baldwin and Cradock:

     Wool became the substitute for money. […] In all the middle periods of British history, the fleece was the expression and the measure of national prosperity or calamity.

2. (uncountable) Insulating skin with the wool attached
3. (countable) A textile similar to velvet, but with a longer pile that gives it a softness and a higher sheen.
4. (countable) An insulating wooly jacket
5. (roofing) Mat or felts composed of fibers, sometimes used as a membrane backer.
6. Any soft woolly covering resembling a fleece.
   • 1879 January, Ellis Clare, “The Christmas Eaglet”, in Ballou's Monthly Magazine, volume 49, number 1, Boston: Thomes & Talbot:

     Alas! in the morning the eaglet was gone; and, full of sorrow, they stooped to pick up the shining fleece with which the floor was spread. At their touch, every feather became a golden coin.

7. The fine web of cotton or wool removed by the doffing knife from the cylinder of a carding machine.

Derived terms

• China fleece vine (Polygonum aubertii)
• defleece
• feather fleece (Stenanthium robustum)
• fleeceflower (Fallopia spp., Persicaria spp., Polygonum spp.)
• fleecehold
• fleeceless
• fleecelike
• fleece vine (Polygonum aubertii)
• fleeceware
• fleecewear
• fleece wool
• fleece worm (Phormia regina etc.)
• fleecy
• Golden Fleece
• green fleece (Codium fragile)
• microfleece
• polar fleece
• smooth golden fleece (Urospermum dalechampii)

Translations

hair or wool of a sheep

• Afrikaans: skaapvag
• Armenian: բուրդ (hy) (burd), (archaic) գեղմ (hy) (geġm)
• Belarusian: руно́ n (runó), шэрсць f (šerscʹ), во́ўна f (vóŭna)
• Breton: kreoñ (br) m
• Bulgarian: руно́ (bg) n (runó), въ̀лна (bg) f (vǎ̀lna)
• Catalan: velló m, vell (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 羊毛 (zh) (yángmáo)

• Cornish: knew m
• Czech: rouno (cs) n, vlna (cs) f
• Dutch: schaapsvacht (nl) f, schapenvacht (nl) f
• Esperanto: ŝaflano, ŝafharo
• Finnish: karva (fi), villa (fi)
• French: toison (fr) f
• Galician: capela (gl) f, vélaro m
• Georgian: მატყლი (maṭq̇li)
• German: Vlies (de) n
• Greek: προβιά (el) f (proviá), μηλωτή (el) f (milotí)

  Ancient: πόκος m (pókos), κῶας (kôas), νάκη f (nákē)

• Hebrew: גִּזָּה f (gizzá)
• Hungarian: gyapjú (hu)
• Irish: lomra m
• Italian: vello (it) m
• Japanese: 羊毛 (ja) (yōmō)
• Korean: 양모(羊毛) (ko) (yangmo)
• Latin: vellus n
• Latvian: vilna (lv) f
• Laz: მონტკორი (monťǩori)
• Macedonian: руно n (runo), волна f (volna)
• Middle English: flees
• Mingrelian: მონტყორი (monṭq̇ori)
• Ottoman Turkish: یاپاغی (yapağı)
• Polish: runo (pl) n, wełna (pl) f
• Portuguese: tosão
• Quechua: rutuy, millma
• Romanian: lână (ro)
• Russian: руно́ (ru) n (runó), шерсть (ru) f (šerstʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: rùsg m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: руно n, вуна f

  Roman: runo (sh) n, vuna (sh) f

• Slovak: rúno n, vlna f
• Slovene: runo (sl) n, volna (sl) f
• Spanish: vellón (es) m, vellocino m, lana (es) f, toisón m (heraldry)
• Svan: მა̈ტყ (mäṭq̇)
• Tagalog: balahibo ng tupa
• Tamil: ^{(please verify)} ஆட்டின் ரோமம் (āṭṭiṉ rōmam)
• Turkish: yapağı (tr)
• Ukrainian: руно́ n (runó), шерсть f (šerstʹ), во́вна f (vóvna)
• Welsh: cnu m, cnuf m

insulating skin with the wool attached

• Catalan: velló m, vell (ca) m
• Czech: rouno (cs) n
• Dutch: vel (nl) n
• Esperanto: (kruda) felo (eo), (preparita) pelto (eo)
• Finnish: talja (fi)
• French: toison (fr) f
• German: Fell (de) n
• Greek: προβιά (el) f (proviá)

  Ancient: πόκος m (pókos), κῶας (kôas), νάκη f (nákē)

• Hungarian: gyapjas bőr
• Italian: vello (it) m, pelliccia (it) f, tosone m
• Korean: 양모(羊毛) (ko) (yangmo)
• Latin: vellus n
• Middle English: flees
• Portuguese: pelego (pt)
• Russian: овчи́на (ru) f (ovčína)
• Scottish Gaelic: rùsg m
• Slovak: rúno n
• Spanish: piel (es) f, vellón (es) m, zalea (es) f

textile

• Catalan: pelfa (ca) f
• Dutch: fleece (nl)
• Esperanto: fliso
• Finnish: fleecekangas, fleece (fi), fliisi
• French: molleton (fr) m, polaire (fr)
• German: Fleece (de) n
• Icelandic: flís (is) n
• Italian: pile (it) m
• Japanese: フリース (ja) (furīsu)
• Korean: 양모(羊毛) (ko) (yangmo)
• Romanian: molton (ro) n, polar (ro) n
• Russian: флис (ru) (flis)
• Spanish: forro polar m, vellón polar m, polar (es) m
• Swedish: fleece (sv)
• Ukrainian: фліс m (flis)

insulating woolly jacket

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 抓绒衣

• Czech: flís m
• Finnish: fleecetakki, fleece (fi), fliisi
• French: polaire (fr) f
• German: Fleecejacke (de) f
• Icelandic: flíspeysa (is) f
• Italian: pile (it) m
• Korean: 플리스 (peulliseu)
• Romanian: polar (ro) n

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Slovene: ^{(please verify)} runo (sl) n

Verb

fleece (third-person singular simple present fleeces, present participle fleecing, simple past and past participle fleeced)

1. (transitive) To con or trick (someone) out of money.
   • 2015 August 2, “All bets are off: why bookmakers aren’t playing fair”, in The Observer‎^[1], archived from the original on 21 January 2020:

     There is a difference between bookmaking, an entirely respectable profession, and fleecing people, which isn’t.

2. (transitive) To cut off the fleece from (a sheep or other animal).

   Synonym: shear

   Hypernym: cut off

   During spring shearing we have to fleece all the sheep in just a few days.

3. (transitive) To cover with, or as if with, wool.

Derived terms

• fleeceable
• fleecer

Translations

to con or trick someone out of money

• Bulgarian: оскубвам (bg) (oskubvam)
• Catalan: plomar (ca), pelar (ca)
• Dutch: oplichten (nl)
• Finnish: nylkeä (fi)
• French: dévaliser (fr), dépouiller (fr), arnaquer (fr), plumer (fr)
• Galician: esfolar (gl)
• German: abziehen (de), ausnehmen (de), betrügen (de), beschwindeln (de), übers Ohr hauen (de)
• Hungarian: megvág (hu), megkopaszt (hu)
• Irish: feann
• Italian: spiumare, pelare (it)
• Latin: dēfloccō
• Romanian: stoarce (ro)
• Russian: обдира́ть (ru) impf (obdirátʹ), ободра́ть как ли́пку pf (obodrátʹ kak lípku)
• Spanish: esquilmar (es), desplumar (es)
• Swedish: skinna (sv), pungslå (sv), skörta upp (sv)
• Welsh: pluo (cy), plingo

to shear the fleece

• Bulgarian: стрижа (bg) (striža)
• Finnish: keritä (fi)
• French: tondre (fr)
• German: scheren (de)
• Ottoman Turkish: قرقمق (kırkmak)
• Persian: پشم چیدن (fa) (pašm čidan), فریز کردن (fariz kardan)
• Russian: стричь ове́ц (stričʹ ovéc)
• Spanish: esquilar (es)
• Welsh: cneifio (cy)

See also

• (con): nickel and dime

References

• “fleece”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• fleece on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfliːsi/, [ˈfliːs̠i]
• IPA^(key): /ˈfliːs/, [ˈfliːs̠] (often in compound terms)
• IPA^(key): /ˈfleːse/, [ˈfle̞ːs̠e̞] (dated)
• Rhymes: -iːsi

Noun

fleece

1. (unadapted) Alternative form of fliisi (“fleece, fleece coat”)

Usage notes

• As is the case with many loanwords, the inflection of this term is problematic. Kotus recommends using the "nalle" category in writing, as shown above, but in speech the declension usually follows the "risti" category; see the declension table for fliisi.

Declension

Inflection of fleece (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		fleece	fleecet
genitive		fleecen	fleecejen
partitive		fleeceä	fleecejä
illative		fleeceen	fleeceihin
		singular	plural
nominative		fleece	fleecet
accusative	nom.	fleece	fleecet
	gen.	fleecen
genitive		fleecen	fleecejen fleecein rare
partitive		fleeceä	fleecejä
inessive		fleecessä	fleeceissä
elative		fleecestä	fleeceistä
illative		fleeceen	fleeceihin
adessive		fleecellä	fleeceillä
ablative		fleeceltä	fleeceiltä
allative		fleecelle	fleeceille
essive		fleecenä	fleeceinä
translative		fleeceksi	fleeceiksi
abessive		fleecettä	fleeceittä
instructive		—	fleecein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of fleece (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative fleeceni fleeceni accusative nom. fleeceni fleeceni gen. fleeceni genitive fleeceni fleecejeni fleeceini rare partitive fleeceäni fleecejäni inessive fleecessäni fleeceissäni elative fleecestäni fleeceistäni illative fleeceeni fleeceihini adessive fleecelläni fleeceilläni ablative fleeceltäni fleeceiltäni allative fleecelleni fleeceilleni essive fleecenäni fleeceinäni translative fleecekseni fleeceikseni abessive fleecettäni fleeceittäni instructive — — comitative — fleeceineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative fleecesi fleecesi accusative nom. fleecesi fleecesi gen. fleecesi genitive fleecesi fleecejesi fleeceisi rare partitive fleeceäsi fleecejäsi inessive fleecessäsi fleeceissäsi elative fleecestäsi fleeceistäsi illative fleeceesi fleeceihisi adessive fleecelläsi fleeceilläsi ablative fleeceltäsi fleeceiltäsi allative fleecellesi fleeceillesi essive fleecenäsi fleeceinäsi translative fleeceksesi fleeceiksesi abessive fleecettäsi fleeceittäsi instructive — — comitative — fleeceinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative fleecemme fleecemme accusative nom. fleecemme fleecemme gen. fleecemme genitive fleecemme fleecejemme fleeceimme rare partitive fleeceämme fleecejämme inessive fleecessämme fleeceissämme elative fleecestämme fleeceistämme illative fleeceemme fleeceihimme adessive fleecellämme fleeceillämme ablative fleeceltämme fleeceiltämme allative fleecellemme fleeceillemme essive fleecenämme fleeceinämme translative fleeceksemme fleeceiksemme abessive fleecettämme fleeceittämme instructive — — comitative — fleeceinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative fleecenne fleecenne accusative nom. fleecenne fleecenne gen. fleecenne genitive fleecenne fleecejenne fleeceinne rare partitive fleeceänne fleecejänne inessive fleecessänne fleeceissänne elative fleecestänne fleeceistänne illative fleeceenne fleeceihinne adessive fleecellänne fleeceillänne ablative fleeceltänne fleeceiltänne allative fleecellenne fleeceillenne essive fleecenänne fleeceinänne translative fleeceksenne fleeceiksenne abessive fleecettänne fleeceittänne instructive — — comitative — fleeceinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative fleecensä fleecensä accusative nom. fleecensä fleecensä gen. fleecensä genitive fleecensä fleecejensä fleeceinsä rare partitive fleeceään fleeceänsä fleecejään fleecejänsä inessive fleecessään fleecessänsä fleeceissään fleeceissänsä elative fleecestään fleecestänsä fleeceistään fleeceistänsä illative fleeceensä fleeceihinsä adessive fleecellään fleecellänsä fleeceillään fleeceillänsä ablative fleeceltään fleeceltänsä fleeceiltään fleeceiltänsä allative fleecelleen fleecellensä fleeceilleen fleeceillensä essive fleecenään fleecenänsä fleeceinään fleeceinänsä translative fleecekseen fleeceksensä fleeceikseen fleeceiksensä abessive fleecettään fleecettänsä fleeceittään fleeceittänsä instructive — — comitative — fleeceineen fleeceinensä

Derived terms

compounds

• fleecetakki

Further reading

• “fleece”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Middle English

Noun

fleece

1. Alternative form of flees

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English fleece.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /fliːs/

Noun

fleece c

1. polar fleece

Declension

Declension of fleece

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	fleece	fleeces
	definite	fleecen	fleecens
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

References

• fleece in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• fleece in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)