patent leather

noun

pat·​ent leather ˈpa-tᵊn(t)- 

 British usually  ˈpā-

: a leather with a hard smooth glossy surface

Examples of patent leather in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This fall, look for dresses in earthy or neutral tones—think browns, mossy greens, beige, black, or gray—that will suit an autumnal palette, with flat shoes with metallic, velvet, or patent leather detail in a complementary color. —René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 27 Sep. 2025

Burd, 37, wore black dress pants, a white suit jacket, and black patent leather dress shoes with gold detailing. —Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025

Her pair featured glossy black patent leather straps with dual ankle buckles in pale gold. —Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2025

Falco, in an ankle-length red dress with a bright floral pattern and yellow, patent leather heels, held a shy black and white pup. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for patent leather

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

Kids Definition

patent leather

noun

pat·​ent leather ˌpat-ᵊn(t)- 

: a leather with a hard smooth glossy surface