felting

US: (fel′ting)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

felt•ing  (fel′ting), n. 

1. Textiles felted material, either woven or felt fabric.
2. Textiles the act or process of making felt.
3. Textiles the materials of which felt is made.

• felt² + -ing¹ 1680–90

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

felt¹ /fɛlt/   v. 

1. pt. and pp. of feel.

felt² /fɛlt/   n. [uncountable]

1. Textiles a nonwoven fabric of wool, fur, or hair, matted together by heat, moisture, and great pressure.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

felt¹  (felt), v. 

1. pt. and pp. of feel. 

felt²  (felt), n. 

1. Textiles a nonwoven fabric of wool, fur, or hair, matted together by heat, moisture, and great pressure.
2. Textiles any article made of this material, as a hat.
3. Textiles any matted fabric or material, as a mat of asbestos fibers, rags, or old paper, used for insulation and in construction.

adj. 

4. Textiles pertaining to or made of felt.

v.t. 

5. Textiles to make into felt;
   mat or press together.
6. Textiles to cover with or as with felt.

v.i. 

7. Textiles to become matted together.

• bef. 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German Filz; see filter

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

felt / fɛlt/ verb

1. the past tense and past participle of feel

felt / fɛlt/ noun

1. a matted fabric of wool, hair, etc, made by working the fibres together under pressure or by heat or chemical action
2. any material, such as asbestos, made by a similar process of matting

verb

1. (transitive) to make into or cover with felt
2. (intransitive) to become matted

Etymology: Old English; related to Old Saxon filt, Old High German filz felt, Latin pellere to beat, Greek pelas close; see anvil, filter