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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.

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

From Seattle Times • May 29, 2022

This fall, Supreme is offering a throwback sharkskin suit with notch lapels in muddy brown and blue.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 7, 2019

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

The Rousers, Max’s alumni who have been playing since 1977, took the stage at Arlene’s in their black shirts and sharkskin suits as the crowd thundered.

From New York Times • Nov. 24, 2017

He was a tall, thin, chocolate-skinned man with a mustache, who favored shades, short-sleeved shirts, shiny shoes, and sharkskin pants, and always held a lit cigarette between his teeth.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride

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