Fur is used in reference to the hair of animals, usually mammals, particularly those with extensive body hair coverage that is generally soft and thick (as opposed to the stiffer  bristles on, for example, pigs). The term "pelage" (French, from Middle French, from poil hair, from Old French peilss, from Latin pilus; first known use in English c. 1828.) is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat. Fur is also used to refer to animal pelts which have been processed into leather with the hair still attached. The words fur or furry are also used, more casually, to refer to hair-like growths or formations, particularly when the subject being referred to exhibits a dense coat of fine, soft "hairs."