leathery

[leth-uh-ree]

adjective

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

leathery

/ ˈlɛðərɪ /

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• leatheriness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of leathery¹

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

Example Sentences

First, one must peel back its leathery skin, which, when ripe, is a beautiful shade of pinkish-red, sometimes with faint streaks of gold or light green.

From Salon

Indian wildlife photographer Sachin Rai still remembers tigress "Arrowhead" pouncing on a crocodile and tearing away its leathery flesh with her teeth.

From BBC

“I haven’t had to alter my body in that way,” says Strong, who underwent a doctor-supervised “starvation diet” and a regimen of tanning booth visits and biweekly spray tans to match Cohn’s notoriously leathery look.

From Los Angeles Times

The sun's rays also dry out skin, making it coarse and leathery.

From BBC

Some still have hair, leathery skin and their original clothing.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• rugged 
• wrinkled www.thesaurus.com