Fleece \Fleece\, n. [OE. flees, AS. fle['o]s; akin to D. flies, vlies .]

1. The entire coat of wood that covers a sheep or other similar animal; also, the quantity shorn from a sheep, or animal, at one time.

Who shore me Like a tame wether, all my precious fleece. --Milton.

2. Any soft woolly covering resembling a fleece.

3. (Manuf.) The fine web of cotton or wool removed by the doffing knife from the cylinder of a carding machine.

Fleece wool, wool shorn from the sheep.

Golden fleece. See under Golden.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Fleece \Fleece\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fleeced; p. pr. & vb. n. Fleecing.]

1. To deprive of a fleece, or natural covering of wool.

2. To strip of money or other property unjustly, especially by trickery or fraud; to bring to straits by oppressions and exactions.

Whilst pope and prince shared the wool betwixt them, the people were finely fleeced. --Fuller.

3. To spread over as with wool. [R.]

--Thomson.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)