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.
-
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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leathers,
present (3rd person singular)
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leathered,
past participle, past
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leathering
present participle
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to cover or furnish with leather.
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Informal. to beat with a leather strap.
noun
-
-
a material consisting of the skin of an animal made smooth and flexible by tanning, removing the hair, etc
-
( 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
-
to whip with or as if with a leather strap
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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leathersimple
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leatherssimple
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have leatheredperfect
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has leatheredperfect
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am leatheringprogressive
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are leatheringprogressive
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is leatheringprogressive
-
have been leatheringperfect progressive
-
has been leatheringperfect progressive
Past
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leatheredsimple
-
had leatheredperfect
-
was leatheringprogressive
-
were leatheringprogressive
-
had been leatheringperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Scents of saddle leather, coffee and plum mingle in the bouquet of this rich offering from the Napa Valley.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Cameron says pumpkin-picking has also grown into a major social media success, with young Scots flocking to the Cupar field "all decked out in white hats and leather boots" to take photos.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Seated in a brown leather armchair while holding a coffee mug, Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee lays claim to his Muslim faith in straightforward, affecting terms.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
The fashion and leather goods division, excluding Gucci, saw retail sales rise by two percent driven by growth at Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Brioni.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
A cloak was tied around his throat with a shimmering green jewel, and a leather belt was slung across his chest.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Designer Maria Grazia Chiuri marked her return to Fendi at Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday, presenting a sensual and lightweight collection featuring "remodelled" furs and leathers crafted like lace.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
It would call attention on anyone but even more so on May, who pairs it with Rick Owens shoulders, pink leathers, fur hats and full camo fits.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2024
Level up with more involved recipes like flavored jerkies or fruit leathers.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2023
Darker fabrics, sumptuous leathers and rich woods come together to embrace the lodge aesthetic and envelope the space with warmth and character.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2023
By then, his pup was snuggled inside his leathers, warm against him, safe for the long ride home.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
And while a leathered look is great for handbags, it’s not so great for faces.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 4, 2021
One tall, young and beautiful, one short and a little bit older, leathered up and toughened up.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 3, 2021
He dragged his studs over the ball to take it away from Jake Cooper, turned in one smooth movement and leathered it into the roof of the net.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 10, 2021
His: leathered and intimidating, as if he were staring down a predator he intends to harpoon.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 1, 2019
The woman laughed, shook out her hair and waved a leathered hand in the air.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
We know he practised at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday after his opening win – seemingly testing out his playing arm by leathering some forehands - and also hit on Wednesday morning.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025
Angela Merkel takes a particularly personal beating, with the front page of Libero featuring a picture of Mario Balotelli leathering a ball featuring the superimposed face of the German chancellor.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 29, 2012
An eye-catching rally ensues on the first of those match points, with both men leathering groundstokes from the baseline and feathering drop shots at the net.
From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2010
Oh, the great big Irishman, The rattling, battling Irishman— The stamping, ramping, swaggering, staggering, leathering swash of an Irishman!
From The Book of Humorous Verse by Carolyn Wells
To receive this commission, he had been summoned from the drawing-room, whose floor he was engaged in leathering to the requisite degree of lustre.
From Anthony Lyveden by Dornford Yates
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