peltry

P3E1L1T1R1Y4
/ˈpɛltɹi/

noun

Pelts or skins, collectively; skins with the fur on them; furs.

Scrabble 11

Meanings

nounpeltry (countable and uncountable, plural peltries)

plural peltries

  1. countableuncountablePelts or skins, collectively; skins with the fur on them; furs.

    It has gray hair, and the fleece is sometimes sold with other peltries, but it is not worth much, although it has some odor.

    1679-1680, Jasper Danckaerts, Journal of Jasper Danckaerts, 1679-1680
    3 more examples

    ...those Indians informed him, that the war was not yet at an end, and that he would live better and with more safety among the French; who, in truth, do much indulge the Indians, and furnish them whatever they desire, because they employ those Indians to kill them beaver, and moose, and other peltry, whereby they gain much.

    1677, Daniel Gookin, The Doings and Sufferings of the Christian Indians, page 521

    We met with a party of three hunters from the Sioux river; they had been out for twelve months, and collected about nine hundred dollars worth of peltries and furs.

    1814, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I.

    Selling his glittering goods at a great advance, he received in exchange valuable peltries and furs at a corresponding reduction.

    1855, Herman Melville, Israel Potter

Origin

  1. Old Frenchpeleterie
  2. Englishpeltry

From Old French peleterie, the trade of a skinner or peltmonger (peletier). Equivalent to pelt + -ry.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

peltry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peltry

MLA

“peltry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peltry. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “peltry,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peltry.

Source: peltry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.