"to strike repeatedly" (with something), c. 1500, a word of unknown origin; according to one old theory it is perhaps from early 13c. pelten "to strike," a variant of pilten "to thrust, strike," from an unrecorded Old English *pyltan, from Medieval Latin *pultiare, from Latin pultare "to beat, knock, strike," or [Watkins] pellere "to push, drive, strike" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive"). OED doubts this. Or it might be from Old French peloter "to strike with a ball," from pelote "ball" (see pellet (n.)) [Klein].
From 1680s as "to go on throwing (missiles) with intent to strike." The meaning "proceed rapidly and without intermission" (1831) is from the notion of beating the ground with rapid steps. Related: Pelted; pelting.
early 15c., "the skin of a fur-bearing animal with the hair on it," especially of the smaller animals used in furriery, a word of uncertain origin, perhaps a contraction of pelet (c. 1300 in Anglo-Latin), from Old French pelete "fine skin, membrane," diminutive of pel "skin," from Latin pellis "skin, hide" (from PIE root *pel- (3) "skin, hide"). Or perhaps the English word is a back-formation Anglo-French pelterie, Old French peletrie "fur skins," from Old French peletier "furrier," from pel. It was later used also of skins stripped of wool or fur (1560s).
"an act of pelting," 1510s, from pelt (v.). Of the beating of the rain by 1862.
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "skin, hide."
It forms all or part of: erysipelas; fell (n.2) "skin or hide of an animal;" film; pell; pellagra; pellicle; pelt (n.) "skin of a fur-bearing animal;" pillion; surplice.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek pella, Latin pellis "skin;" Old English filmen "membrane, thin skin, foreskin."
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to thrust, strike, drive."
It forms all or part of: anvil; appeal; catapult; compel; dispel; expel; felt (n.) "unwoven fabric matted together by rolling or beating;" filter; filtrate; impel; impulse; interpellation; interpolate; peal; pelt (v.) "to strike (with something);" polish; propel; pulsate; pulsation; pulse (n.1) "a throb, a beat;" push; rappel; repeal; repel; repousse.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek pallein "to wield, brandish, swing," pelemizein "to shake, cause to tremble;" Latin pellere "to push, drive;" Old Church Slavonic plŭstĭ.
1780, "hooded outer garment made of skins, worn by Eskimos," from Aleut parka, from Russian parka "a pelt or jacket made from pelt," which is said to be from Samoyed, a Uralic language spoken in Siberia. As the trade name of a similar wind-proof manufactured garment (also known as an anorak), by 1958.
"fur or pelt of the coypu," a kind of large, beaver-like rodent native to southern South America, 1836, from Spanish nutria "otter," also lutria, from Latin lutra "otter," an unexplained variant of PIE *udros (see otter).
"to sprinkle as with pepper," 1610s, from pepper (n.). Old English had gepipera. Meaning "to pelt with shot, etc.; hit with what pains or annoys" is from 1640s. Related: Peppered; peppering.
Middle English pilche "garment made from the skin or fur of animals," usually an outer garment, from Old English pilece, from Medieval Latin pellicea "a furred garment," fem. of Latin pelliceus "of fur or skin," from pellis "skin, pelt" (from PIE root *pel- (3) "skin, hide"). Later, "triangular wrapper for an infant, worn over the diaper" (1670s).
