ˈleðə n. & v. --n. 1 a
material made from the skin of an
animal by tanning or a
similar process. b (attrib.) made of leather. 2 a
piece of leather
for polishing
with. 3 the leather
part or parts of
something. 4 sl. a cricket-ball or
football. 5 (in pl.) leather
clothes,
esp. leggings,
breeches, or clothes for wearing on a
motor cycle. 6 a
thong (stirrup-leather). --v.tr. 1
cover with leather. 2
polish or
wipe with a leather. 3
beat,
thrash (orig. with a leather thong). øleather-jacket 1
Brit. a crane-fly
grub with a
tough skin. 2
any of
various tough-skinned
marine fish of the
family Monacanthidae. leather-neck Naut. sl. a
soldier or (esp. US) a marine (with
reference to the leather
stock formerly worn by them). [OE lether f. Gmc]