furball

IPA/ˈfɜː.bɔːl/
IPA/ˈfɝː.bɑːl/

furball — noun

  • furballsingular
  • furballsplural

1. an informal affectionate word for a small animal with soft fur, especially a pet

1.nounB1
Definition

an informal affectionate word for a small animal with soft fur, especially a pet such as a rabbit, hamster, or kitten that feels nice to pick up and cuddle.

Example

Trang lifted the little furball from its cage and let it rest in her palm.

Rafael's class brought a furry classroom pet, and everyone wanted to hold the tiny furball.

collocation: tiny furball / classroom pet

Common collocations
  • little furball
  • tiny furball
  • hold the furball
  • cuddle the furball
Synonyms
  • pet

    neutral and more formal; no implication of cuteness

  • kitten

    only for baby cats, not other small animals

  • bunny

    only for rabbits, equally informal

Usage Note

This sense is always affectionate and usually refers to a pet or baby animal; using it for a wild animal that is not cute would sound odd.

Common Mistakes

The cat left a furball on the rug.' (when meaning a hairball).
The cat left a hairball on the rug.
'furball' for a cute pet is sense 1; for a lump of fur from a cat, use sense 2 or the word 'hairball'.

2. a small mass of animal fur that builds up inside a cat's or other animal's stoma

2.nounB1
Definition

a small mass of animal fur that builds up inside a cat's or other animal's stomach and is brought back up through the mouth.

Example

Imran found a wet furball on the kitchen floor after the cat got sick.

collocation: found a wet furball

The vet told Omar that regular brushing can help reduce the furballs his cat produces.

Common collocations
  • cough up a furball
  • leave a furball
  • furball on the floor
  • reduce furballs
  • furball in the stomach
Synonyms
  • hairball

    more formal and the standard veterinary term; 'furball' is the informal alternative

Usage Note

Most common when talking about cats, but can also apply to other animals that groom themselves, such as rabbits or dogs.

Common Mistakes

That little furball is so cute!' (when referring to a cat that just coughed up a hairball).
That little cat is so cute!
'furball' as an affectionate term belongs to sense 1 and is confusing when the cat has just produced a sense-2 furball.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Both 'furball' and 'hairball' describe the mass of fur that a cat or other grooming animal brings up. 'Hairball' is the standard, more formal term used by veterinarians and in pet-care instructions; 'furball' is informal and slightly playful, though it is the preferred word in many everyday conversations. 'Fur' alone refers to the soft hair covering an animal's body, not to the clump that comes back up. For example, a vet might say 'Your cat has a hairball problem', while a pet owner might say 'The cat left a furball on the rug again'. If you are writing a formal care guide, use 'hairball'; in casual speech or writing about pets, either word works.

furball ↗hairball ↗fur ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • cat furball
  • pet furball

Phrases

  • a little furball
  • a tiny furball

Etymology

English

A compound of 'fur' (the soft hair covering an animal) and 'ball' (a round object), first recorded in the early 20th century. The meaning 'a lump of swallowed fur' (sense 2) appeared first, describing what a cat coughs up. The affectionate sense (sense 1) for a cute furry animal developed later by playful analogy, as if the animal itself were a living ball of fur.