Meaning & use
lambskin
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The soft skin of a young sheep, used as leather, with or without the wool still attached.
Grammar: Usually uncountable for the material: a jacket made of lambskin.
Patterns
- made of lambskin
- lambskin gloves
She bought a pair of lambskin gloves that felt soft against her hands.
The jacket is made of real lambskin, not synthetic leather.
Lambskin is prized for being light and supple.
nouncountable
A piece of this material, or a garment or item made from it.
Grammar: Countable for an item: a lambskin, two lambskins.
Patterns
- a lambskin rug
- a lambskin coat
The shop sells lambskins in several colors.
He wrapped the baby in a small lambskin to keep her warm.
noununcountableold-fashioned
Parchment or a similar writing surface once made from sheep skin, sometimes used for formal documents or diplomas.
Grammar: Rare and traditional: a diploma printed on lambskin.
Patterns
- on lambskin
The old charter was written on lambskin.
Some universities once awarded diplomas on lambskin.
Word forms
| plural | lambskins |
|---|
Common combinations
- lambskin leather
- The wallet is made of lambskin leather.
- soft lambskin
- Soft lambskin lines the inside of the boots.
- lambskin jacket
- He wore a black lambskin jacket to the concert.
- lambskin gloves
- Lambskin gloves are warm but thin.
- genuine lambskin
- The label said genuine lambskin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sheepskin
- Sheepskin comes from an older sheep and is usually thicker and often kept with the wool, while lambskin is finer.
- leather
- Leather is the general word for treated animal hide, and lambskin names one soft kind.
- suede
- Suede is leather with a brushed surface, and it can be made from lambskin but does not have to be.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: lambskin or cowhide?
lambskin vs cowhide
Cowhide is much tougher and thicker than lambskin, which is chosen for softness.
Practice
Which item is most likely to be made of lambskin?
Choose one answer.
Lambskin is soft and thin, ideal for gloves. Work boots need tougher materials, and rope and raincoats are made from other materials.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lambskin”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.