Lambskin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The hide obtained from a young sheep, prized for its softness and often utilized in crafting various leather goods
2. A type of youthful sheep's skin, celebrated for its luxurious feel and frequently used in fashion and accessory production
3. A soft, smooth leather derived from the hide of a young sheep, commonly employed in the making of high-quality garments and luxury items

Etymology: Lambskin is about as transparent as English compounds get: "lamb" joined to "skin," with the sense of the skin of a young sheep. The first element goes back to Old English "lamb," a word shared across the Germanic languages, while "skin" is a borrowing from Old Norse "skinn," which displaced the native Old English term "hide" for animal skin used as leather in many contexts. The compound works because English has long used the animal name to specify the material. Calfskin, kidskin and goatskin follow the same pattern, so "lambskin" fits a standard set of leather names rather than a special coinage. Its most distinctive use is for soft, fine leather, which is why the material is prized for gloves and bookbinding.

Synonyms: sheepskin, fur