(transitive) to pluck (feathers, hair, etc.) / (transitive) to skin (an animal) / (transitive) to shear (hair) / (transitive) to peel (fruit, etc.) / (transitive) to strip (leaves, etc.) / (transitive, figurative) to fleece (a person) / (intransitive, colloquial) to cause a feeling of intense cold or heat (of the wind, etc.)

thankless task / a hard row to hoe, a tough nut to crack

plural of gatta da pelare