leather

Pronunciation: /ˈlɛðɚ/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
  2. verb whip with a leather strap

Etymology

From Middle English lether, from Old English leþer (“leather”), from Proto-West Germanic *leþr, from Proto-Germanic *leþrą (“leather”), possibly borrowed from Proto-Celtic *ɸlitrom, *letros, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥tro-. Cognate with West Frisian leare (“leather”), Low German Leder (“leather”), Dutch leder, leer (“leather”), German Leder (“leather”), Danish læder (“leather”), Swedish läder (“leather”), Icelandic leður (“leather”).

In classic literature

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
animal skin
Narrower (hyponyms)
cowhide, sheepskin, deerskin, kid, morocco, crushed leather

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