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leath·er

(lĕthər)

1. The dressed or tanned hide of an animal.

2. Any of various articles or parts made of dressed or tanned hide, such as a boot or strap.

3. The flap of a dog's ear.

tr.v. leath·ered, leath·er·ing, leath·ers

1. To cover wholly or in part with the dressed or tanned hide of an animal.

2. Informal To beat with a strap made of hide.

adj.

1. Made of, relating to, or resembling dressed or tanned animal hide.

2. Slang Of or relating to the wearing of leather, or patronized by people who wear leather, especially as a sexual fetish: a leather bar.

[Middle English lether, from Old English lether- (as in letherhose, leather pants).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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