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sharkskin

American  
[shahrk-skin] / ˈʃɑrkˌskɪn /

noun

  1. a smooth fabric of acetate or rayon with a dull or chalklike appearance, for apparel.

  2. a fine worsted fabric in twill weave, compact in texture and light to medium in weight, for suits.


sharkskin British  
/ ˈʃɑːkˌskɪn /

noun

  1. a smooth glossy fabric of acetate rayon, used for sportswear, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sharkskin

First recorded in 1850–55; shark 1 + skin

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:

And no one looked better in spearpoint collars and sharkskin silk suits than Ray.

From Seattle Times May 29, 2022

Several readers weighed in, some of them curious about the admittedly bizarre items I was so excited about discovering at the Tysons Corner Marshalls: striped jeans and a sharkskin suit.

From Washington Post Dec. 17, 2017

Motown, par exemple, was all about sartorial consistency: identical sharkskin suits for the Temptations and color-coordinated chiffon for the Supremes.

From Slate May 14, 2015

This spring, he handed the chef’s position over to Ken Hosoki, who was carving delicate sheets of rarely seen species like hairtail when I arrived while another chef rubbed a wasabi root on sharkskin.

From New York Times Aug. 12, 2014

It was nearing five o'clock, and he was trying on his new sharp-looking sharkskin suit.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

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