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coriaceous

/ˌˈkɔriˌˈeɪʃəs/
IPA guide

Coriaceous is a botanist's term for leathery in appearance, or just tough. You're not going to see it often used outside scientific contexts.

To remember this word, think of corrugated which also describes a kind of surface roughness. Or think about how courageous people like sailors and mountain climbers end up with coriaceous or leathery skin. The word itself is a lesson in historical linguistics: Coriaceous is related to the Latin word corium, which entered English in the 1650s, and traces its history back to the Pan Indo European root *(s)ker-(1), which is responsible for the Sanskrit krtih "hide," and the Old English sceran "to cut, shear."

Definitions of coriaceous
  1. adjective
    resembling or made to resemble leather; tough but pliable
    tough
    resistant to cutting or chewing
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Commonly confused words

On Chris Christie's "Coriaceous Hide"

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