leather
/ˈlɛðə
/noun
1 [mass noun] A material made from the skin of an animal by tanning or a similar process: [as modifier]: a leather jacket...
- The production of leather from animal hides was a time consuming and dreadfully smelly process.
- Today, machines trim and cut the thickness and polish the leather.
- She wore what was then the fashion for women, a leather one piece outfit with detachable sleeves and pant legs.
Synonyms
skin, hide
1.1 (leathers) Leather clothes, especially those worn by a motorcyclist: he was dressed head to toe in black leathers...
- Structured leathers and neoprene coats contrast with stretch mohair and fine cobweb knits to present a soft-military look.
- She has taken a tumble before, but the compulsory crash helmet, leathers and gloves prevented injuries.
- Maybe we need to find out a way to get Thrasher shirts over our leathers and then we will have a chance.
2A piece of leather as a polishing cloth.
3 short for stirrup leather.With a round to go of the 4190-metre journey, the leathers holding her right stirrup iron came loose and dangled under the horse's belly for almost 2000m....
- Strap leathers are common and inspired from English saddles.
- She was reluctant to leave but headed off into the darkness, reins fastened to the saddle and stirrups run up the leathers.
verb [with object] informal, chiefly British
1Beat or thrash (someone): he caught me and leathered me black and blue (as noun leathering) go, before you get a leathering...
- One young lad from Northampton takes me out as I'm about to play the ball and I absolutely leather him before an almighty fight breaks out and I'm sent to the sin-bin.
- I had one fight last year where the judges scored it against me 1-0 after we'd been leathering each other for five rounds.
- Prior to the legalisation of lifting, the lineout was a jungle, and a prime opportunity for forwards to leather each other without the referee ever being able to see.
Synonyms
beat, strap, belt, thrash, flog, whip, lash, scourge, horsewhip, birch, cane, strike, hit, clout, batter, spank
informal wallop, whack, tan someone's hide, give someone a (good) hiding, lather
1.1Strike or kick (a ball) very hard: Carlos took his customary 20-metre sprint up to the ball and leathered it...
- He leathers his second long-range effort of the night wide.
- Kolinko's weak punch lands at the feet of Milan Baros, who leathers it home from 12 yards.
- This time the winger's shot angled across Marshall's dive and rebounded off his left-hand post before being leathered behind.
Origin
Old English lether, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch leer and German Leder, from an Indo-European root shared by Irish leathar and Welsh lledr.