leather

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A tough material produced from the skin of animals, by tanning or similar process, used e.g. for clothing; often denotes leather from cattle when no qualifier specifies otherwise.
2. (countable, uncountable) A piece of the above used for polishing.
3. (colloquial, countable, uncountable) A cricket ball or football.
4. (countable, plural, uncountable) clothing made from the skin of animals, often worn by motorcycle riders.
5. (countable, uncountable) A good defensive play
6. (countable, uncountable) A punch.
7. (countable, dated, humorous, uncountable) The skin.
8. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable) Clipping of fruit leather.

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Made of leather.
2. (not-comparable) Referring to one who wears leather clothing (motorcycle jacket, chaps over 501 jeans, boots), especially as a sign of sadomasochistic homosexuality.
3. (not-comparable) Referring to an establishment of familial relations through agreed sexual or romantic deviance.

Verb

1. (transitive) To cover with leather.
2. (ambitransitive) To form a leathery surface (on).
3. (transitive) To strike forcefully.
4. (transitive) To spank or beat with a leather belt or strap.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlɛðə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: lether

Inherited from Old English: leþer

Cognate with Western Frisian: leare

Cognate with Low German: Leder

Cognate with Dutch: leder

Cognate with German: Leder

Cognate with Danish: læder

Cognate with Swedish: läder

Cognate with Icelandic: leður

In summary

From Middle English lether, from Old English leþer (“leather”), from Proto-West Germanic *leþr, from Proto-Germanic *leþrą (“leather”), possibly borrowed from Proto-Celtic *ɸlitrom, *letros, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥tro-.
Cognate with West Frisian leare (“leather”), Low German Leder (“leather”), Dutch leder, leer (“leather”), German Leder (“leather”), Danish læder (“leather”), Swedish läder (“leather”), Icelandic leður (“leather”).

Synonyms

skin

hide

pelt

fur

animal skin

bark

leathern

shell

🐚

crust

tanned animal hide

integument

peel

exuviae

flesh

🥩

force

husk

needle

parchment

rawhide

rind

sheepskin

strap

tanning

target

tegument

thrash

vellum

leather-dressing

strip of leather

such as milk

leather-

awl

beat

belt

boots

buckskin

cover

cowhide

cutis

deerskin

derma

dermis

Translations

cuir

Leder

cuero

cuoio

leer

couro

piel

skóra

δέρμα

leder

pelle

Haut

peau

leren

cuir