fellmonger
Definition
- Noun:
- A dealer in animal skins or hides: A "fellmonger" is a person who buys and sells the skins of animals, especially those with fur or hair, often preparing them for use in leather or fur products.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The fellmonger inspected the sheepskins before offering a price. (A dealer examining animal hides for purchase.)
- In medieval towns, the fellmonger was a common trade alongside tanners. (A historical occupation dealing with animal skins.)
Advanced Usage
"fellmonger's trade": the business or profession of dealing in animal skins.
- He inherited his father's fellmonger's trade and continued selling hides to local leatherworkers. (The occupation of buying and selling animal skins.)
"fellmonger's yard": a place where animal skins are stored or processed.
- The smell from the fellmonger's yard was strong, but it was a sign of a thriving business. (A location for handling hides.)
Variants and Related Words
Fellmongering (n): the activity or business of a fellmonger.
- Fellmongering was once a vital part of the wool industry. (The trade of dealing in animal skins.)
Fellmonger (v, rare): to deal in or prepare animal skins.
- He would fellmonger the hides from the local farm. (To process or trade skins.)
Synonyms
- Skin dealer: a person who trades in animal skins.
- Hide merchant: a merchant specializing in animal hides.
- Furrier: a dealer in furs (though this often implies finished fur garments).
Related Idioms
- No direct idioms: "Fellmonger" is a specific, historical term without common idiomatic usage. It may appear in historical or trade contexts.
- "As rough as a fellmonger's hands" (a rare, descriptive phrase implying toughness from handling hides).
Word Origin (For Context)
- From Middle English (skin or hide) + (dealer or trader). The word dates back to the 15th century and is now largely archaic or used in historical descriptions.