bearskin

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableBritish

   A tall, furry black hat worn by certain soldiers on ceremonial duty, such as the guards at Buckingham Palace.

   Grammar: Often used for the hat itself: the guard's bearskin.

   Patterns

   • wear a bearskin

   The guard stood perfectly still beneath his tall bearskin.

   Tourists photographed the soldiers in their red coats and bearskins.

   A bearskin can weigh over a pound and feels hot in summer.

2. 2nouncountable or uncountable

   The skin and fur of a bear, used as a rug, a coat or a cover.

   Grammar: Countable for an item (a bearskin rug); uncountable for the material.

   Patterns

   • a bearskin rug
   • a coat of bearskin

   A bearskin lay in front of the fireplace in the old lodge.

   The hunter's cloak was made of bearskin.

   The museum displays a bearskin brought back from the north.

Word forms

Common combinations

bearskin hat

The bearskin hat is part of the ceremonial uniform.

bearskin rug

A bearskin rug covered the cabin floor.

wear a bearskin

Soldiers wear a bearskin during the changing of the guard.

tall bearskin

A tall bearskin made him look even taller.

guard in a bearskin

A guard in a bearskin stood outside the palace gates.

Synonyms and how they differ

busby

A busby is a similar fur hat, but shorter and used by some hussar and artillery units, so it is not an exact match for the guards' hat.

fur hat

Fur hat is a general term for any hat of fur, while bearskin names a specific tall ceremonial one.

pelt

Pelt means any animal skin with fur still on it, and does not name a bear or a hat.

Word family

bear noun

a large heavy mammal with thick fur

skin noun

the outer covering of an animal's body

sheepskin noun

the skin of a sheep with wool, used for coats or rugs

Commonly confused: bearskin or bare skin?

Practice

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