pelt
To throw things quickly and repeatedly at someone or something.
The word pelt has two distinct meanings:
- To throw things rapidly and repeatedly at someone or something. When kids pelt each other with snowballs during a winter battle, they're launching one snowball after another as fast as they can. Rain might pelt your bedroom window during a storm, hitting it over and over with force. The word suggests speed and intensity: a barrage of impacts coming one after another.
- An animal skin with the fur or hair still attached. Trappers and hunters historically sold animal pelts for their fur, which people used to make warm clothing or blankets. A beaver pelt was especially valuable during America's frontier period. Today, you might see pelts displayed in museums showing how people once lived, or used as rugs.
These two meanings are completely unrelated, though both appeared in English centuries ago. When you encounter pelt in your reading, the context will make clear whether someone is throwing things or talking about animal fur.