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pelf

noun
/pɛlf/US

Etymology

From Late Middle English pelf, pelfe (“stolen goods, booty, spoil; forfeited property; money, riches; property; valuable object”), possibly from Anglo-Norman pelf (a variant of pelfre (“booty, loot”)) and Old French peufre (“frippery; rubbish”); further etymology uncertain, possibly a metathesis of Old French felpe, ferpe, frepe (“a rag”). The English word is perhaps related to Late Latin pelfa, pelfra, pelfrum (“forfeited or stolen goods”), Middle French peuffe and French peufe, peuffe (“old clothes; rubbish”) (Normandy), and pilfer.

  1. derived from felpe
  2. derived from peufre — “frippery; rubbish”
  3. derived from pelf
  4. inherited from pelf

Definitions

  1. Money, riches

    Money, riches; gain, especially when dishonestly acquired; lucre, mammon.

    • During his Office, Treaſon vvas no Crime. / The Sons of Belial had a Glorious Time: / For Shimei, though not prodigal of pelf, / Yet lov'd his vvicked Neighbour as himſelf.

  2. Rubbish, trash

    Rubbish, trash; specifically (British, dialectal) refuse from plants.

  3. Dust

    Dust; fluff.

  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. A contemptible or useless person.

The neighborhood

Derived

pelfish, pelfray, pelfry

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for pelf. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA