Shamoys

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To soften or dress leather, especially sheepskin, to resemble chamois ; to treat material to give it a soft and pliable texture ; to process hides for increased suppleness and absorbency
2. Transforming skins, particularly sheepskin, into a material similar to chamois by chemical or physical means ; making something flexible and velvety through a specific treatment ; preparing hides for softness and gentleness
3. Refining or finishing leather to imitate the softness of chamois, using particular techniques ; rendering animal hides tender and absorbent ; applying processes to make materials more supple and smooth

Etymology: "Shamoys" is the plural of "shamoy," a spelling variant of "chamois" that reflects how the word was pronounced in English. The chamois is a mountain antelope of the Alps and Pyrenees, and its name came into English from French, where "chamois" referred both to the animal and to the soft leather made from its skin. The distinctive soft leather was prized for polishing and cleaning, and English speakers adopted the French name for it. Over time, the word was spelled as it sounded to English ears, producing "shamoy" and its plural "shamoys," a form that shows the French pronunciation being anglicised. Today "chamois" is the standard spelling, while "shamoy" survives as a less common variant.