Leather: Definition, Examples, and Usage

Meaning 1：Tanned animal hide (Leather)

Leather 🔊

/ˈlɛðər/

Leather is a strong and flexible material made from animal skin, often used to make things like shoes, bags, and furniture.

Close-up of a brown leather bag showing smooth texture

Tanned animal hide 🔊

➕

/tænd ˈænɪməl haɪd/

A durable, flexible material made by chemically treating animal skins, used to produce items like shoes, bags, belts, and furniture.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Leather comes from Old English 'lether', related to Dutch 'leder' and German 'Leder', all from Proto-Germanic *leþra-.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a leather jacket: 'Leather' sounds like 'let her' wear it, but you feel its tough texture.

📖 Example

My father's old leather jacket still looks great after many years. 🔊 My father's old leather jacket still looks great after many years.

🔗 Collocations

leather jacket – A short coat made of leather

leather shoes – Footwear made of leather

leather bag – A container made of leather

🔄 Synonyms

hide (n.) – The skin of an animal, especially when used for leather

rawhide (n.) – Untreated animal skin, often used for whips or drumheads

suede (n.) – Soft leather with a napped surface, typically made from the underside of animal skin

🚫 Antonyms

plastic (n.) – A synthetic material often used as an inexpensive substitute for leather

fabric (n.) – Woven or knitted cloth, distinct from animal skin material

vinyl (n.) – A synthetic resin used to imitate leather

🌱 Derivatives

leathery (adj.) – Having a texture similar to leather

leatherwork (n.) – The craft of making items from leather

leatherette (n.) – An imitation leather made from plastic or rubber

📖 Cultural Story

Leather has been used for millennia for clothing and tools. The word traces back to Proto-Germanic *leþra-, meaning 'skin' or 'hide', and entered English via Old English.