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 of leather

Noun

• skin
• coat
• hide

Verb

• hide
• whip
• cowhide
• slash
• tan
• rawhide
• lash
• flick
• birch
• horsewhip
• switch

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

Nina Dobrev cuts an effortlessly stylish figure in a leather jacket, red sweater and Loewe jeans while running errands in New York City on April 4. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026

The new policy doesn’t cover taxidermy or byproduct materials such as leather, sheepskin, wool or mohair. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 6 Apr. 2026

Verb

The main space includes a custom kitchen with an induction Verona stove, leathered granite counters and a large copper farmhouse sink. —Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026

Inside, the home features 10-foot coffered ceilings, white oak floors, and a kitchen with a La Cornue range and light leathered marble countertops. —Businessden, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for leather

• aether
• gether
• heather
• nether
• tether
• weather
• wether
• whether
• altogether
• together

Kids Definition

leather

noun

leath·​er

ˈlet͟h-ər

1

: animal skin prepared for use

2

: something entirely or partly made of leather