1 fleece | Definition of fleece

fleece

noun
\ ˈflēs How to pronounce fleece (audio) \

Definition of fleece

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the coat of wool covering a wool-bearing animal (such as a sheep)
b : the wool obtained from a sheep at one shearing
2a : any of various soft or woolly coverings
b : a soft bulky deep-piled knitted or woven fabric used chiefly for clothing

fleece

verb
fleeced; fleecing

Definition of fleece (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to strip of money or property by fraud or extortion
b : to charge excessively for goods or services
2 : to remove the fleece from : shear
3 : to dot or cover with fleecy masses

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Examples of fleece in a Sentence

Noun

learning how to shear the fleece off a sheep

Verb

Don't let that salesman fleece you. an unsuspecting tourist fleeced by a scam artist
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Aspen has been awash in fleece vests and All Birds this week, thanks in large part to Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference, which rolls into its final day this morning. — Fortune, "The ‘Superpower’ Behind Quibi, Meg Whitman’s New Company: The Broadsheet," 17 July 2019 The Wubby is made of a polyester fleece that looks like a teddy shearling. — Kelsey Mulvey, Marie Claire, "The Thread & Supply Fleece That's All Over Instagram Is Less Than $50 at Nordstrom," 23 July 2019 Forty percent of San Francisco’s GDP comes from those fleeces. — Cicero Estrella, The Mercury News, "Karl the Fog keeps things cool in Q&A about his first book," 3 July 2019 Other bar patrons — those who knew to line up well before 5 p.m., even on a Tuesday — were much more prepared in their leather jackets, scarves and layers of fleece. — Janelle Bitker, SFChronicle.com, "Everdene, San Francisco’s newest rooftop bar, joins a crop of spots so hip but oh so cold," 19 June 2019 The company, which pioneered the production of synthetic fleece, said Tuesday that it would be acquired by Milliken & Co., a South Carolina company that also makes textiles, as well as specialty chemicals and floor coverings. — BostonGlobe.com, "Polartec owner sells company to Milliken," 12 June 2019 Prices range from $55 for a fleece sweater to $175 for a long puffer coat. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Everlane Debuts New Collection Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles," 25 Oct. 2018 The North Face's Tekno Ridge hoodie is a combination of both a fuzzy, insulating fleece and a wind-repelling rain jacket. — Brian Barrett, WIRED, "Need Outdoors Gear? 13 Deals From the REI 4th of July Sale," 3 July 2019 Bank surveillance photos showed a robber wearing the same green windbreaker on some occasions, a blue fleece jacket or a black motorcycle jacket at other times and a variety of ball caps or a gray knit cap. — Pauline Repard, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Neuroscientist ordered to trial in bank robbery series," 28 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Not surprisingly, this runs afoul of those already fleecing the neighborhood, forcing the trio into shifting alliances and showdowns, with the river providing a convenient place to dispose of the collateral damage. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'The Kitchen' cooks up a half-baked mob drama," 8 Aug. 2019 Obviously not every political consultant is fleecing small donors. — Derek Willis, ProPublica, "How Fundraisers Convinced Conservatives to Donate $10 Million — Then Kept Almost All of It.," 26 July 2019 Somewhere behind a Bloomberg terminal, there’s a dude clutching the lapels of his Patagonia fleece vest. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "The Anonymous Instagrammer Midtown Uniform Reacts to Patagonia’s New Anti–Finance Bro Agenda," 3 Apr. 2019 How to Wear 21 Slides From white sneakers to fleece jackets, practical pieces are ruling fashion right now. — Glamour, "5 Different Ways to Wear a Jumpsuit This Spring," 15 Mar. 2019 The public is getting fleeced on the naming rights for our baseball stadium — to the estimated tune of $50 to $100 million. — Danny Westneat, The Seattle Times, "Whose stadium is it? They tell us it’s ours, only not when it comes to selling the big money name," 12 Dec. 2018 But the ability to replicate the Knights, who made the Stanley Cup final their first season, might not be possible given how badly some teams were fleeced by them. — Geoff Baker, The Seattle Times, "Seattle’s NHL team will get same favorable expansion draft rules as Vegas Golden Knights. What happens next is anyone’s guess.," 5 Dec. 2018 These grey fleece joggers from Adidas will keep you warm and stylish, and this grey crewneck sweatshirt from American Apparel has a similar vibe to Kylie’s. — Kara Nesvig, Teen Vogue, "Kylie Jenner and Stormi Webster Match in Grey Sweatsuits and Beanies," 9 Dec. 2018 Elio was planning to fleece her because of her perceived weakness of not being under Hiram’s protection anymore. — Jessica Macleish, Teen Vogue, ""Riverdale" Recap Season 3 Episode 7: Why Has No One Noticed Betty Is Missing?," 6 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fleece.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of fleece

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for fleece

Noun

Middle English flees, from Old English flēos; akin to Middle High German vlius fleece and perhaps to Latin pluma feather, down

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More Definitions for fleece

fleece

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fleece

 (Entry 1 of 2)