fleece
UK[fliːs]US[fliːs]
n
the woolly coat of a sheep or similar animal
n
a soft, warm, artificial fabric that resembles sheep's wool
v
to deceive someone, especially in order to take money from them
Etymology
the word 'fleece' has a direct and ancient lineage, tracing back to the proto-germanic root 'fleusaz', which meant 'wool' or 'fleece'. this term passed into old english as 'fleos', retaining its core meaning of a sheep's woolly coat. the semantic journey is remarkably stable, with the word's primary definition remaining virtually unchanged for over a millennium. the modern metaphorical verb sense, meaning to swindle or strip someone of money or possessions, developed in the 16th century, drawing a vivid analogy to the act of shearing wool from a sheep.
Analysis
the word is a simplex form. it is a loanword from old english 'fleos', 'fles', of west germanic origin, related to dutch 'vlies' and german 'vlies'. its functional role is as a complete lexical root.
Examples
the farmer sheared the thick fleece from his prize ram.
she wore a cozy fleece jacket for the hike in the mountains.
the dishonest contractor managed to fleece the elderly couple out of their life savings.