shagreen

[ shuh-green ]

noun

1. an untanned leather with a granular surface, prepared from the hide of a horse, shark, seal, etc.
2. the rough skin of certain sharks, used as an abrasive.

adjective

1. Also sha·greened. resembling, covered with, or made of shagreen.

shagreen

/ ʃæˈɡriːn /

noun

1. the rough skin of certain sharks and rays, used as an abrasive
2. a rough grainy leather made from certain animal hides

Word History and Origins

Origin of shagreen¹

1605–15; < French chagrin, variant of sagrin < Turkish sağrι rump, crupper

Word History and Origins

Origin of shagreen¹

C17: from French chagrin, from Turkish çagri rump; also associated through folk etymology with shag ¹, green

Example Sentences

Shagreen was formerly very extensively used for covering the cases of watches, spectacles, surgical instruments, &c.

From Project Gutenberg