leathery

American  

[leth-uh-ree] / ˈlɛð ə ri /

adjective

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

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leathery British  

/ ˈlɛðərɪ /

adjective

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

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Other Word Forms

• leatheriness noun

Etymology

Origin of leathery

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

Example Sentences

Nim kissed the top of her leathery head and followed the flashlight beam back to her own bed.

From Literature

Shrieks and the flapping of a thousand leathery wings as bats in their hundreds, disturbed from their daytime rest, fell from the roof of the cave and wheeled around them, beating at their faces.

From Literature

The dragon hissed again, then arched its back, stretching its leathery red wings into the air.

From Literature

Grant “in his sixties with leathery dark skin seemed old,” Bruce said.

From Literature

Swell sharks depend on kelp to lay their leathery eggs, making them vulnerable to kelp forest loss.

From BBC

Related Words

• rugged
• wrinkled