cowhide

[ kou-hahyd ]

/ ˈkaʊˌhaɪd /

Save This Word!

noun

the hide of a cow.

the leather made from it.

a strong, flexible whip made of rawhide or of braided leather.

cowhides, Informal. a pair of boots or shoes, especially those made of cowhide.

verb (used with object), cow·hid·ed, cow·hid·ing.

to whip with a cowhide.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of cowhide

First recorded in 1630–40; cow¹ + hide²

Words nearby cowhide

Cow Gum, cowhage, cowhand, cowherb, cowherd, cowhide, cow horse, Cowichan sweater, cowinner, cowitch, cowk

How to use cowhide in a sentence

For a few steps, I kept even with a group of three bulls, close enough to touch cowhide.
Chicago’s Running of the Bulls|Hampton Stevens|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Both men got into their cowhide overcoats and pulled their caps well down over their ears.
Red Hunters And the Animal People|Charles A. Eastman
Then, pulling on his thick cowhide “larrigans,” coat and woollen mittens, he went out to fodder the cattle.
The Backwoodsmen|Charles G. D. Roberts
With unerring aim it caught the toe of her heavy cowhide shoe, and fixed its teeth in the tough leather.
The Backwoodsmen|Charles G. D. Roberts

Orde in a shooting coat, riding breeches, brown cowhide boots with spurs, and a battered flax helmet.
Under the Deodars|Rudyard Kipling
After a few minutes he returned with a large cowhide, and stood before the girl, without saying a word.
The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 3 of 4|American Anti-Slavery Society

British Dictionary definitions for cowhide

cowhide

/ (ˈkaʊˌhaɪd) /

noun

the hide of a cow

the leather made from such a hide

Also called: cowskin

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