Definition

Noun: 1. A person who throws things, especially missiles or projectiles, often in a rapid or aggressive manner: This meaning refers to an individual who pelts objects. 2. A heavy, driving rain: This is an informal, chiefly British usage for a very heavy downpour.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Person who throws):
  • The angry crowd included several pelters hurling stones at the building.
  • The pelters of snowballs retreated when the teacher appeared.
• Noun (Heavy rain):
  • We got caught in a real pelter on the way home and were soaked through.
  • You'll need an umbrella; it's coming down in a pelter.

Advanced Usage

• The term for a person who throws is often used in contexts of protest, riot, or playful but aggressive behavior (like snowball fights). It carries a connotation of forceful or repeated throwing.
• The meaning of "heavy rain" is typically used in informal spoken English, particularly in British and Irish dialects.

Variants and Related Words

• Pelt (verb): To attack by repeatedly throwing things; to beat down heavily (of rain).
  • The children pelted each other with water balloons.
  • Rain pelted against the windows.
• Pelting (noun/adjective): The act of throwing missiles; falling heavily (of rain).
  • The pelting of hail damaged the crops.

Synonyms

• For a person who throws: Thrower, hurler, bombardier.
• For heavy rain: Downpour, deluge, cloudburst, torrent.

Notes on Meaning

These are two distinct meanings of the same word form ("noun"). The connection between them lies in the verb "to pelt," which means both to strike repeatedly with thrown objects and (of rain) to fall forcefully and rapidly. A "pelter" is therefore either the agent of the throwing action or the rain itself that performs the action of pelting.

Noun

1. a thrower of missiles
   • the police were too busy to chase the pelters
2. a heavy rain