shagreen
Americannoun
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an untanned leather with a granular surface, prepared from the hide of a horse, shark, seal, etc.
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the rough skin of certain sharks, used as an abrasive.
adjective
noun
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the rough skin of certain sharks and rays, used as an abrasive
-
a rough grainy leather made from certain animal hides
Etymology
Origin of shagreen
1605–15; < French chagrin, variant of sagrin < Turkish sağrι rump, crupper
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.
The show’s sublime ensemble of his work illustrates how Frank’s clean lines are complemented by pale and pricey finishes of materials like parchment and shagreen.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
The Bay, from Los Angeles-based Made Goods, can be upholstered in a variety of fabrics — mohair, cotton velvet, shagreen — and colors, among them rosewater and turquoise.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2019
Its attenuated cabriole legs, delicate swags, and flowering-urn ornamentation reference the Louis XV period, but the diminutive artifact is surfaced in then-fashion-forward shagreen and ebony.
From Architectural Digest • Aug. 27, 2014
Comers networked in an upper-deck dining area replete with oak, leather and shagreen.
From Forbes • Jun. 26, 2013
The shell, when viewed closely, appears rough with minute scale-like elevations, very much resembling shagreen.
From Zoological Illustrations, Volume I or Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting Animals by Swainson, William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
