leather
Americannoun
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the skin of an animal, with the hair removed, prepared for use by tanning or a similar process designed to preserve it against decay and make it pliable or supple when dry.
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an article made of this material.
adjective
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pertaining to, made of, or resembling leather.
leather processing; leather upholstery.
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Slang. catering to or patronized by customers who typically wear leather clothing, often as a means of signaling interest in or preference for sadomasochistic sexual activity.
verb (used with object)
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to cover or furnish with leather.
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Informal. to beat with a leather strap.
noun
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a material consisting of the skin of an animal made smooth and flexible by tanning, removing the hair, etc
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( as modifier )
leather goods
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(plural) leather clothes, esp as worn by motorcyclists
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the flap of a dog's ear
verb
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to cover with leather
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to whip with or as if with a leather strap
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have leatheredperfect
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has leatheredperfect 3rd person singular
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am leatheringprogressive 1st person singular
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has been leatheringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is leatheringprogressive 3rd person singular
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leatheringparticiple
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leatherssingular 3rd person
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are leatheringprogressive
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have been leatheringperfect progressive
Past
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had leatheredperfect
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had been leatheringperfect progressive
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were leatheringprogressive plural
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leatheredparticiple
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leatheredsimple
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was leatheringprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of leather
before 1000; Middle English lether, Old English lether- (in compounds); cognate with Dutch, German leder, Old Norse lethr, MIr lethar skin, leather, Welsh lledr, Middle Breton lezr leather
Explanation
Leather is a material that's made from animal skin and used to make shoes, bags, furniture covers, and many other things. You might be too hot if you wear your leather pants to the beach. Most expensive, well-made shoes are made of leather — although it's pliable and easy to shape, it's also extremely strong and long-lasting. To make leather, the skin of an animal is stripped of all fur or hair, and then tanned, or treated to keep it from cracking and drying. The leather collars on early US Marines' uniforms led to their nickname being "leathernecks."
Vocabulary lists containing leather
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Macy’s, though, said that its customers are snapping up leather jackets and other higher-priced items.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
As I set off, the shoes emitted a peppy clip-clop and a satisfying groan of distressed leather with each step.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
There's the leather flight suit of Amelia Earhart, who was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic but disappeared over the Pacific in 1937 as she attempted to fly around the world.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Zidane, tracking the star-patterned leather like a skeet shooter, hips coiled, unloaded a gold-medal hit.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
After dinner, he placed Tiamat's baby teeth in a small leather bag his uncle had given him several years before.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
