leather

The word “leather” means a durable material made from tanned animal hide, used for clothing, furniture, and accessories. In plain terms, tanned animal hide used to make goods, or (informally) to strike something hard.

“Leather” is pronounced LEH-thuh (/ˈlɛðɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “leather” used in a sentence: “The jacket was made of soft brown leather.”

Depending on how it is used, “leather” can be a noun, an adjective and a verb.

The word “leather” comes from Old English. From Old English leþer, from an ancient Germanic word possibly borrowed from Celtic, ultimately tied to a very old Indo-European root.

“Leather” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Leather” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a durable material made from tanned animal hide, used for clothing, furniture, and accessories.

Both are made from animal hide, but "leather" usually refers to the smooth, finished outer surface, which is durable and often shiny. "Suede" is made from the softer inner layer of the hide, giving a fuzzy, napped texture. Suede is a type of leather, but generally less water-resistant.

"Leather" is a natural material made from tanned animal hide. "Faux leather," also called pleather or leatherette, is a synthetic imitation made from plastic or coated fabric designed to look like leather. Faux leather is animal-free and usually cheaper, but generally less durable.

A "hide" is the raw animal skin before processing. "Leather" is what that hide becomes after tanning, the treatment that makes it durable and prevents it from decaying. In short, hide is the raw material and leather is the finished product.