goldbeater's skin

American  

[gohld-bee-terz] / ˈgoʊldˌbi tərz /

noun

1. the prepared outside membrane of the large intestine of the ox, used by goldbeaters to lay between the leaves of the metal while they beat it into gold leaf.

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goldbeater's skin British  

/ ˈɡəʊldˌbiːtəz /

noun

1. animal membrane used to separate sheets of gold that are being hammered into gold leaf

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Etymology

Origin of goldbeater's skin

First recorded in 1700–10; gold + beater + 's ¹

Example Sentences

The cupboards in the lab-like room held vellum and dyes and more exotic sounding material such as Goldbeater's skin.

From BBC

And in “Goldbeater’s Skin,” performed at Trinity Wall Street in 2018, he alternated luminous melodic development with frizzy rhythmic outbursts.

From New York Times

The gas cells of many of the early zeppelins were made from so-called goldbeater’s skin: cow intestines beaten to a pulp and then stretched.

From The New Yorker

I could only get goldbeater's skin," he remarked, "and precious little of that, so be careful with it.

From Project Gutenberg

The fine membrane called goldbeater’s skin, used for making up the shoder and mould, is the outer coat of the caecum or blind gut of the ox.

From Project Gutenberg