entry
pelage
/ˈpɛlɪdʒ/The fur or coat of a mammal
From Latin, through Old French and French pel (hair).
from Latin pilus "hair" (see pile (n.3)). Used in zoology as plumage is of birds. Middle English had pelure "fur,...
from French pelage "hair or wool of an animal" (16c.)
+1 more sourcefrom French pelage "hair or wool of an animal" (16c.)
+1 more sourcefrom French pelage "hair or wool of an animal" (16c.)
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Latin pilus "hair" (see pile (n.3)). Used in zoology as plumage is of birds. Middle English had pelure "fur,...
from French pelage "hair or wool of an animal" (16c.)
+1 more sourcefrom French pelage "hair or wool of an animal" (16c.)
+1 more sourcefrom French pelage "hair or wool of an animal" (16c.)
+1 more sourceA zoologist’s pelage is not merely “fur” in the cozy, everyday sense; it is the animal’s entire hair wardrobe, from insulating underfur to protective guard hairs. The word arrived in English in 1831 from French pelage, which reached back through Old French pel to Latin pilus, “hair.” That same Latin word lies behind such unexpectedly hair-related terms as depilatory and epilate—so a depilatory cream is, etymologically, a device for undoing pilus. Medieval English already had pelure, borrowed from Old French for especially valuable fur, suggesting that luxurious animal coats were being discussed long before zoologists gave them a technical label. Remember pelage as a mammal’s plumage: birds wear feathers, mammals wear pelage.
The Story
A zoologist’s pelage is not merely “fur” in the cozy, everyday sense; it is the animal’s entire hair wardrobe, from insulating underfur to protective guard hairs. The word arrived in English in 1831 from French pelage, which reached back through Old French pel to Latin pilus, “hair.” That same Latin word lies behind such unexpectedly hair-related terms as depilatory and epilate—so a depilatory cream is, etymologically, a device for undoing pilus. Medieval English already had pelure, borrowed from Old French for especially valuable fur, suggesting that luxurious animal coats were being discussed long before zoologists gave them a technical label. Remember pelage as a mammal’s plumage: birds wear feathers, mammals wear pelage.
Kin & Kindred
From 'pel'·hair; animal fur
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary