sharkskin

[ shahrk-skin ]

noun

a smooth fabric of acetate or rayon with a dull or chalklike appearance, for apparel.
a fine worsted fabric in twill weave, compact in texture and light to medium in weight, for suits.

Origin of sharkskin

First recorded in 1850–55; shark¹ + skin

Words Nearby sharkskin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sharkskin in a sentence

He opened the sharkskin cover and flipped a few pages into the text.
Captives of the Flame | Samuel R. Delany
He was dressed in an expensive white sharkskin suit with a white American-style shirt and a black tie.
The Golden Skull | John Blaine
In the doorway of the tailor shop is a dark-complexioned man in a gray sharkskin suit.
The Wailing Octopus | Harold Leland Goodwin
He saw the man in the gray sharkskin suit saunter out of the doorway and start toward them.
The Wailing Octopus | Harold Leland Goodwin

British Dictionary definitions for sharkskin

sharkskin

/ (ˈʃɑːkˌskɪn) /

noun

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

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