leathery

[ leth-uh-ree ]

adjective

1. like leather in appearance or texture; tough and flexible.

leathery

/ ˈlɛðərɪ /

adjective

1. having the appearance or texture of leather, esp in toughness

Derived Forms

• ˈleatheriness, noun

Other Words From

• leather·i·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of leathery¹

First recorded in 1545–55; leather + -y ¹

Example Sentences

“I haven’t had to alter my body in that way,” says Strong, who underwent a doctor-supervised “starvation diet” and a regimen of tanning booth visits and biweekly spray tans to match Cohn’s notoriously leathery look.

From Los Angeles Times

The sun's rays also dry out skin, making it coarse and leathery.

From BBC

"Adult platypus have no teeth, though juveniles have rudimentary molars. Just when and why adult platypus lost their teeth after nearly 100 million years is a mystery we think we have solved. It may have been competition with the Australian water rat, which arrived in Australia within the last 2 million years, which caused platypus to seek out softer, slipperier food best processed with the leathery pads that adults use today," Professor Flannery said.

From Science Daily

Some still have hair, leathery skin and their original clothing.

From Seattle Times

They have large bodies and long, leathery necks.

From NewsForKids.net

Related Words

• rugged
• wrinkled