Meaning & use
pigskin
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The skin of a pig, especially when used as leather.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the material: 'a bag made of pigskin'. It can be countable when referring to a specific piece or type: 'several pigskins'.
Patterns
- made of pigskin
- pigskin leather
The football was made of pigskin, though modern ones are usually synthetic.
She bought a pair of pigskin gloves for winter.
Pigskin is durable but less common than cowhide for furniture.
nouncountableinformalAmerican
A football, especially in American football.
Grammar: Used informally, mainly in American English. Often preceded by 'the': 'throw the pigskin'.
Patterns
- throw the pigskin
- catch the pigskin
He loves to go out and throw the pigskin around with his friends.
The quarterback threw the pigskin for a touchdown.
Fans cheered as the pigskin sailed through the air.
Word forms
| plural | pigskins |
|---|
Common combinations
- pigskin leather
- The car seats were covered in pigskin leather.
- throw the pigskin
- On Thanksgiving, families often throw the pigskin in the backyard.
- pigskin gloves
- He wore pigskin gloves to protect his hands.
- pigskin jacket
- She found a vintage pigskin jacket at the thrift store.
Synonyms and how they differ
- football
- The standard term for the ball used in American football; 'pigskin' is informal and colloquial.
- hide
- A general term for animal skin, often used for leather; 'pigskin' specifies the animal.
Word family
Commonly confused: pigskin or deerskin?
pigskin vs deerskin
Leather made from deer skin, not pig. It is softer and often used for gloves.
Practice
In American English, 'pigskin' is an informal word for a ______.
Choose one answer.
In informal American English, 'pigskin' refers to a football, not other sports balls. The other options are different sports.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pigskin”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.