▪ I. † ˈfurrier1 Obs.
Also 6 furiour, furrior, -yer, 7 furriour. See also forayer, fourrier.
[ad. F. fourrier, OF. forier, f. feurre forage.]
One who went in advance of an army, etc. to secure and arrange accommodation, etc.; a purveyor, quarter-master; hence also a courier, harbinger. Comb., as furrier-major.
| 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. clix. [clx.] 456 The nexte day [the Erle of Foiz] departed fro Tholous, and lefte his furriers behynde hym to paye for euery thyng. 1581 Styward Mart. Discipl. i. 18 Ther must by him be appointed, a furrior or harbinger, who shall..lodge y⊇ whole companie. 1606 W. Birnie Kirk-Buriall (1833) 4 Our two faithful furriours Enoch and Elias. 1637 R. Monro Exped. i. 33 The Furriers sent before, to divide the Quarters. 1704 Lond. Mag. No. 4022/4 Deserted..Jacob Fulk..a Furrier. |
▪ II. furrier2
(ˈfʌrɪə(r))
[f. fur n. + -ier; cf. clothier. Fr. has fourreur, agent-n. f. fourrer fur v.]
A dealer in or dresser of fur or furs.
| [c 1330: see furrour.] 1576 Turberv. Venerie 12 Skynnes sent to the furryers and pellytours of Fraunce. 1598 Hakluyt Voy. I. 156 Certaine Furriers of London..haue had a great part of the sayd goods, namely of the Furres. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) III. 323 Of this [skin] the furriers make a covering that is warm and durable. 1836 W. Irving Astoria (1849) 28 Mr. Astor became acquainted with a countryman of his, a furrier by trade. 1859 Darwin Orig. Spec. v. (1872) 107 It is well known to furriers that animals of the same species have thicker fur the further north they live. |