LEATHER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does leather mean? 

• LEATHER (noun)
  The noun LEATHER has 1 sense:

1. an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

  Familiarity information: LEATHER used as a noun is very rare.

• LEATHER (verb)
  The verb LEATHER has 1 sense:

1. whip with a leather strap

  Familiarity information: LEATHER used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LEATHER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("leather" is a kind of...):

animal skin (the outer covering of an animal)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "leather"):

deerskin (leather from the hide of a deer)

roan (a soft sheepskin leather that is colored and finished to resemble morocco; used in bookbinding)

suede; suede leather (leather with a napped surface)

shoe leather (leather used to make shoes)

fleece; sheepskin (tanned skin of a sheep with the fleece left on; used for clothing)

pigskin (leather from the skin of swine)

patent leather (leather with a hard glossy surface)

morocco (a soft pebble-grained leather made from goatskin; used for shoes and book bindings etc.)

mocha (soft suede glove leather from goatskin)

kid; kidskin (soft smooth leather from the hide of a young goat)

horsehide (leather from the hide of a horse)

glove leather (leather suitable for making gloves)

doeskin (soft leather from deerskin or lambskin)

piece of leather (a separate part consisting of leather)

crush; crushed leather (leather that has had its grain pattern accentuated)

cowhide; cowskin (leather made from the hide of a cow)

cordovan (a fine leather originally made in Cordoba, Spain)

chammy; chammy leather; chamois; chamois leather; shammy; shammy leather (a soft suede leather formerly from the skin of the chamois antelope but now from sheepskin)

whit leather; white leather (a leather that has been treated with alum and/or salt)

calf; calfskin (fine leather from the skin of a calf)

Russia leather (a smooth leather tanned with willow, birch, or oak, and scented on the flesh side with birch oil)

ooze leather (a very soft leather made from the skins of calves and having a suede finish on the flesh side)

buff (a soft thick undyed leather from the skins of e.g. buffalo or oxen)

buckskin (a soft yellowish suede leather originally from deerskin but now usually from sheepskin)

alligator (leather made from alligator's hide)

grain (the side of leather from which the hair has been removed)

Derivation:

leathery (resembling or made to resemble leather; tough but pliable)

• LEATHER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they leather    ... he / she / it leathers   
Past simple: leathered   
Past participle: leathered   
-ing form: leathering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Whip with a leather strap

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "leather" is one way to...):

flog; lash; lather; slash; strap; trounce; welt; whip (beat severely with a whip or rod)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

 Context examples 

By my troth! if they were my subjects they would be glad enough to wear falding and leather ere I had done with them.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then I seized my coat, which was weighted by the coppers which I had just transferred to it from the leather bag in which I carried my takings.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Van Helsing, instead of his little black bag, had with him a long leather one, something like a cricketing bag; it was manifestly of fair weight.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

But scarcely had he lain down when Grey Beaver staggered over to him and tied a leather thong around his neck.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The stomach assumes a "leather bottle" shape.

(Linitis plastica, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

They were perfectly cut and deposited in containers of varying sizes that were made of different materials (metal, leather and even wood), which were then hidden in specific parts of the cave.

(Hair was dyed for first time as part of funeral rituals, University of Granada)

Basic fuchsin is primarily used for bacterial identification, but is also used as a dye in textiles, leather, and printing inks.

(Basic Fuchsin, NCI Thesaurus)

Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up the next day, meaning to rise early in the morning to his work.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

I glanced down at the new patent leathers which I was wearing.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A leather valise stood beside his table, and into this he began to pack very neatly and systematically the precious contents of his safe.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)