sharkskins

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Plural of sharkskin: the rough hides of sharks, sometimes used as leather or an abrasive.

   Grammar: A count plural of a noun that is also uncountable: dried sharkskins.

   Patterns

   • tan sharkskins
   • sharkskins for something

   Old craftsmen used dried sharkskins to sand wood to a fine finish.

   The museum displays sharkskins that were once made into sheaths.

   Some fishermen sold sharkskins to leather workers.

2. 2nounplural

   Plural of sharkskin: smooth, close-woven fabrics with a slight sheen, often used for suits.

   Grammar: Used for fabric types: several sharkskins in gray.

   Patterns

   • suits of sharkskins

   The tailor showed me three sharkskins in different grays.

   Light sharkskins are popular for summer suits because they hold their shape.

   Some old film costumes were cut from stiff sharkskins.

Word forms

Common combinations

dried sharkskins

The boxes were covered with dried sharkskins.

gray sharkskins

The shop stocked gray sharkskins for formal wear.

woven sharkskins

Woven sharkskins are easy to recognize by their tiny pattern.

tanned sharkskins

Tanned sharkskins were turned into wallets.

Synonyms and how they differ

hides

This is a general word for animal skins, with nothing specific to sharks.

worsteds

This names a type of wool fabric that is similar in smoothness to the cloth sense of sharkskins.

shagreens

This names rough leather made from sharks or rays and is more of a trade term.

Word family

sharkskin noun

the singular form

shark noun

a large predatory fish

skin noun

the outer covering of a body

skins noun

hides, or the plural of skin

Commonly confused: sharkskins or sharkskin suit?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “sharkskins”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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