nubuck

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A soft leather with a fine, velvety surface made by lightly sanding the outer skin of cattle hide.

   Grammar: Uncountable as a material: a jacket made of nubuck.

   Patterns

   • made of nubuck

   His boots were made of brown nubuck and needed a special brush.

   Nubuck stains easily, so spray it before wearing it in the rain.

   The sofa is covered in grey nubuck that feels soft to the touch.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Made of this soft sanded leather.

   Grammar: Used as a modifier: nubuck shoes.

   Patterns

   • nubuck shoes

   She bought nubuck sneakers for the autumn.

   A nubuck bag looks elegant but must be kept dry.

   The nubuck finish gave the jacket a matte look.

Common combinations

nubuck leather

Nubuck leather is stronger than suede but still soft.

nubuck boots

He cleaned his nubuck boots with a rubber brush.

nubuck shoes

She wore nubuck shoes to the wedding.

brush nubuck

You should brush nubuck gently to lift the surface.

waterproof nubuck

Waterproof nubuck is a good choice for hiking footwear.

Synonyms and how they differ

suede

Suede is made from the inner side of the skin and is softer and weaker, while nubuck comes from the outer side and wears better.

velvet leather

Velvet leather is a loose descriptive phrase, whereas nubuck names a specific finish.

buckskin

Buckskin is a soft leather originally from deer, with a different origin than nubuck.

Opposites

Word family

leather noun

material made from treated animal skin

suede noun

soft leather with a brushed surface

hide noun

the skin of an animal before it is made into leather

buck noun

a male deer, part of the word's origin

Commonly confused: nubuck or suede?

Practice

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