From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpeltpelt1 /pelt/ verb 1 [transitive]THROW to attack someone by throwing a lot of things at thempelt somebody with something The marchers were pelted with rocks and bottles.2 DN[intransitive, transitive] to be raining very heavily → pour Rain pelted the windows. It’s pelting down out there. the cold wind and pelting rain3 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] informalRUN to run somewhere very fast Three huge dogs came pelting into the street.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
pelt• Police were pelted by stones thrown by demonstrators, some from rooftops, witnesses said.• Bullets of water pelt down, gusts of wind whip and tear from all sides.• The boys sat in the back of the class, pelting each other with pieces of rolled up paper.• We were out in the cold rain that pelts northern Arkansas in March.• Demonstrators were pelting rocks and bottles at police.• I watched as the sky curdled and darkened and the rain pelted the road with silvery stones.• Battered and pelted, we grope for a principle of order.• Next, his house was pelted with eggs.• Stand close enough to see the column form and you will probably be pelted with near-boiling water.• When Vice-President Nixon toured the area in 1958 he was pelted with rotten eggs and jostled by angry demonstrators.• When the Vice-president toured the area in 1958 he was pelted with rotten eggs by angry farmers.pelting rain• Finally she spat angrily at the door of the building and shambled on her way, oblivious to the pelting rain.peltpelt2 noun [countable] 1 HBATIMthe skin of a dead animal, especially with the fur or hair still on it → hide2 HBAthe fur or hair of a living animal3 → (at) full peltExamples from the Corpus
pelt• A prime beaver pelt was worth $ 6 to $ 8 a pound.• Murray was much worse: both legs broken and bone protruding through his pelt.• Now, mink pelts sell for 75 cents and bobcats go for $ 35.• In 1993 production of mink pelts was at 2.6m.• mink pelts• When the deal was consummated, Smith was given the assignment he coveted-to be in charge of finding new sources of pelts.• An animal's pelt covered his scalp, its empty legs dangling beside his ears, yet it seemed not at all absurd.• The rock jutted through the thin pelt of flowers and grass, and all at once the horizon concertinaed.• I stroked his lovely velvety pelt and smelt his warm meaty breath.Origin pelt1 (1400-1500) Origin unknown pelt2 1. (1400-1500) Perhaps from peltry “skins, furs” ((15-19 centuries)), from Anglo-French pelterie, from Latin pellis “skin”2. (1800-1900) → PELT1 