sharkskin

noun

shark·​skin ˈshärk-ˌskin How to pronounce sharkskin (audio)
1
: the hide of a shark or leather made from it
2
a
: a smooth durable woolen or worsted suiting in twill or basket weave with small woven designs
b
: a smooth crisp fabric with a dull finish made usually of rayon in basket weave

Examples of sharkskin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Knoll and Jean-Michel Frank chairs are covered in a woven tweed; a desk, lavishly covered in his signature shagreen — or sanded sharkskin — punctuates the main room. Rose Apodaca Jones, WWD, 16 Aug. 2024 In addition to stamp sales (with proceeds benefiting the marine research society), Leicester planned to sell a Sea Turtle Cookery Book bound in sharkskin and a small newspaper titled the Times of New Atlantis. Fred Nadis, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024 Keith: Man, my all-time favorite was the sharkskin pants, for sure. Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 17 Nov. 2023 The sharkskin suit was always one of my favorites. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Aug. 2022 The low-pressure vortex helps to suck the sharkskin forward through the water. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2012 Chef George grated the wasabi with a sharkskin grater, telling me that 99% of Japanese restaurants do not use real wasabi. Margie Goldsmith, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2022 The plague ran in the blood of men in sharkskin suits, who ran for president promising life and delivering death. Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2020 In 2012, Lauder tested swimsuit material, purported to reduce drag like sharkskin, that 80 percent of winning swimmers at the Sydney Olympics wore. Joanna Klein, National Geographic, 28 July 2020

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

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sharkskin was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near sharkskin

Cite this Entry

“Sharkskin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharkskin. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sharkskin

noun
shark·​skin ˈshärk-ˌskin How to pronounce sharkskin (audio)
1
: the hide of a shark or leather made from it
2
: a smooth durable material with small woven designs that looks like the hide of a shark

More from Merriam-Webster on sharkskin

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!