leather

Plural: leathers

Noun

an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
A tough material produced from the skin of animals, by tanning or similar process, used e.g. for clothing.
A piece of the above used for polishing.
A cricket ball or football.
clothing made from the skin of animals, often worn by motorcycle riders.
A good defensive play
A punch.
The skin.
Clipping of fruit leather.

Verb

whip with a leather strap
To cover with leather.
To form a leathery surface (on).
To strike forcefully.
To spank or beat with a leather belt or strap.

Adj

Made of leather.
Referring to one who wears leather clothing (motorcycle jacket, chaps over 501 jeans, boots), especially as a sign of sadomasochistic homosexuality.
Referring to an establishment of familial relations through agreed sexual or romantic deviance.

Examples

"He leathered the ball all the way down the street."
"Jones showed good leather to snare that liner."

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English lether, from Old English leþer (“leather”), from Proto-West Germanic *leþr, from Proto-Germanic *leþrą (“leather”), possibly borrowed from Proto-Celtic *ɸlitrom, *letros, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥tro-.
Cognate with West Frisian leare (“leather”), Low German Leder (“leather”), Dutch leder, leer (“leather”), German Leder (“leather”), Danish læder (“leather”), Swedish läder (“leather”), Icelandic leður (“leather”).

Synonyms

leathern

Scrabble Score: 10

leather is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
leather is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
leather is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

leather is a valid Words With Friends word