cowskin

[ kou-skin ]

noun

1. the skin of a cow.
2. the leather made from it.

cowskin

/ ˈkaʊˌskɪn /

noun

1. another word for cowhide

Word History and Origins

Origin of cowskin¹

An Americanism dating back to 1730–40; cow ¹ + skin

Example Sentences

The girls seldom passed her without her saying, “Move faster, you black gip!” at the same time giving them a blow with the cowskin over the head or shoulders, often drawing the blood.

From Literature

“The man who wields the blood-clotted cowskin during the week fills the pulpit on Sunday and claims to be a minister of the meek and lowly Jesus,” Douglass wrote.

From Washington Post

Gaucho-inspired touches like cowskin rugs and old-fashioned wooden wardrobes are complemented by a small pool and chic public spaces.

From New York Times

Angus, a bull character, is happy to sip coffee and recline on a cowskin rug, with no apparent inner turmoil about the fact that it was flayed from the body of a fellow cow.

From The Verge

The jailer gets his legal fees, the finder gets his reward, the master gets his slave, and the slave most generally receives some "moderate correction" from the cowskin or the paddle.

From Project Gutenberg