leather

1 of 2

noun

leath·​er ˈle-t͟hər 

1

: animal skin dressed for use

2

: the flap of the ear of a dog see dog illustration

3

: something wholly or partly made of leather

leather adjective

leatherlike

ˈle-t͟hər-ˌlīk 

adjective

leather

2 of 2

verb

leathered; leathering ˈle-t͟hə-riŋ 

ˈlet͟h-riŋ

transitive verb

1

: to cover with leather

2

: to beat with a strap : thrash

Synonyms

Noun

• hide
• skin

Verb

• birch
• cowhide
• flagellate
• flail
• flog
• hide
• horsewhip
• lash
• rawhide
• scourge
• slash
• switch
• tan
• thrash
• whale
• whip

Examples of leather in a Sentence

Noun

the company claims to use only the finest leathers for its shoes and handbags

this jacket was made from real leather

Verb

an expert rider will find almost no reason to leather a horse

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Think safari-ready leather travel trunks but with all the bells and whistles of a modern-day case. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024

Donning a black leather blazer with white piping for his acceptance speech, Williams spoke about his journey from a marginalized upbringing in Virginia to global renown in music, fashion, beauty and philanthropy. —Miles Socha, WWD, 18 Dec. 2024

Verb

Almost from the start, Dharavi was defined by its industries: from the traditional potters of Gujarat who began arriving in the late 1800s, to leather tanners from Tamil Nadu and embroidery workers from Uttar Pradesh. —Jessie Yeung, CNN, 29 June 2024

Look to leather knee-high pairs from Jimmy Choo, Isabel Marant, Khaite, and & Other Stories for a similar version of the model-off-duty style. —Laura Jackson, Vogue, 15 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English lether, from Old English lether-; akin to Old High German leder leather, Old Irish lethar

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing leather

• buff leather
• glove leather
• hell-for-leather
• kid leather
• leather-lunged
• napa leather
• patent leather
• Russia leather
• saddle leather
• shoe-leather
• stirrup leather

Kids Definition

leather

noun

leath·​er

ˈlet͟h-ər

1

: animal skin prepared for use

2

: something entirely or partly made of leather