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leathery

American  
[leth-uh-ree] / ˈlɛð ə ri /

adjective

  1. like leather in appearance or texture; tough and flexible.

leathery British  
/ ˈlɛðərɪ /

adjective

  1. having the appearance or texture of leather, esp in toughness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of leathery

First recorded in 1545–55; leather + -y 1

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.

Leathery old Hélio Saraiva has had three strains of dengue.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 17, 2017

The original version of the article you’re reading now was published back in 2007, and since then a Leathery turtle dissection has been featured on TV as part of the fantastic series Inside Nature’s Giants.

From Scientific American • Jun. 9, 2012

Leathery, spiky-haired McGregor is an expert on "human relations."

From Time Magazine Archive

Leathery, compact, of medium height, with a belligerent jaw and a mouth like a trap, Chesty Puller became the model of a professional fighting man.

From Time Magazine Archive

Leathery, claw-tipped wings, longer claws on the limbs that tore at the metal wall.

From Deathworld by Dongen, H. R. van

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.