leather

1 of 2

noun

leath·​er ˈle-t͟hər How to pronounce leather (audio)
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 adjective

leather

2 of 2

verb

leathered; leathering ˈle-t͟hə-riŋ How to pronounce leather (audio)
ˈlet͟h-riŋ

transitive verb

1
: to cover with leather
2
: to beat with a strap : thrash

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
Snag a pair in cognac leather, or choose from 12 additional shades and styles, including silver and raffia. Averi Baudler, People.com, 8 Oct. 2024 Rag & Bone Aja boots $548 AMAZON A sleek square-toe, black leather, and a walkable heel? Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 8 Oct. 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 See all Example Sentences for leather 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of leather was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near leather

Cite this Entry

“Leather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leather. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

leather

noun
leath·​er
ˈlet͟h-ər
1
: animal skin prepared for use
2
: something entirely or partly made of leather

More from Merriam-Webster on leather

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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