Make Your Point: FLEECE

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pronounce FLEECE:

FLEESE

connect this word to others:

We could put the word fleece into a group of words that all use body parts to denote acts of violence or control. See if you can recall them:

1. To de__ng something is to make it less powerful, as if by removing its sharpest teeth.

2. To h__str_ng something is to cripple it, as if by cutting the tendons at the back of the knee.

3. To keep a thr_____h__d on something is to keep a cruel or overly tight control of it, as if by gripping its throat.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

(Source)

If you fleece an animal who grows wool, like a sheep or a goat, you remove its fleece (its wool coat).

And if you fleece a person, you steal from that person or rip them off, as if you're stripping them of everything they have.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Verb, the transitive kind: "They fleeced him;" "So... we paid $129 for someone to come turn a knob to shut off the water supply? I think we've been fleeced."

Other forms:

Fleeced, fleecing, fleecer(s), fleeceable

how to use it:

Pick the short, punchy, colorful, semi-common verb "fleece" when you want to suggest that some sneaky, greedy person or company seems to be shaving off every last dollar from some innocent, sheep-like customer or victim.

You could say that someone is fleecing someone else: "TicketMaster fleeces its customers by charging outrageous fees."

Or say that people are getting fleeced, or that they feel fleeced: "Customers felt fleeced after paying those outrageous fees on top of the outrageously priced tickets."

examples:

"He met up with his brother Walter in Chicago, where he was fleeced and pickpocketed from the time he hit town till the time he left."
— James McBride, The Color of Water, 1995

"Celeste Di Iorio felt fleeced after she spent a day driving from pharmacy to pharmacy in Fort Collins, Colorado, in search of a [COVID] test that would give an answer in less than three days... 'We just paid $50 apiece for these tests.'"
— Rae Ellen Bichell, Salon, 19 October 2021

has this page helped you understand "fleece"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "fleece" without saying "mulct" or "swindle."

try it out:

If you purchase a video game but you can't really enjoy it unless you keep on making in-game purchases, you may feel fleeced.

That was the case for many players of EA's Star Wars Battlefront II, as explained by The Verge:

"Although paying for loot boxes is optional, the problem is the effects they may have on the game for those who don't want to pay... It's this system that led many players to believe that EA was attempting to fleece them."

With that in mind as an example, talk about a time you felt fleeced. Who was trying to shave more and more money (or work, or time) off of you, and how?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

This month, our game is Botched Songs!

Check out the botched lyrics to a holiday song, and see if you can give me the botched title. It'll include a form of a word we've studied before.

For example, if the real song is "Jingle Bell Rock," then the botched one might be "Jingle Quell Rock." Or if the real song is "It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas," then the botched one might be "It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like a Chrysalis."

If you need some clues, highlight them to reveal them. And to see the answer, scroll all the way down. Your answer might be different than mine but just as good. Enjoy!

Try this one today:

_____ night, holy night.
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin mother and child,
Build a tower for them to hide.
Steep in safety and peace.
Steep in sequestering peace.
—from "_____ Night"

Clue 1: The word in the blank means… a protective storage container, or any place of protected isolation
Clue 2: The word in the blank starts with the letter… S

Clue 3: The word in the blank sounds like… the word "silent," but change the second syllable.

review this word:

1. Near opposites of FLEECE include

A. COOL and FREEZE.
B. LINGER and ABIDE.
C. PROVIDE and BESTOW.

2. A headline that stays true to the metaphor of "fleecing" is "Televangelists Fleece Their _____."

A. Pews
B. Flocks
C. Devotees

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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