What does cheveril mean?
Cheveril is an archaic English noun denoting a kid — a young goat — and, by extension, the soft, supple leather made from its skin. Because kidskin was prized for its smoothness and remarkable elasticity, writers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries reached for the word metaphorically: Shakespeare's Falstaff, for instance, boasts of a conscience as 'extensible' as cheveril, meaning it could be stretched to justify anything. The word thus acquired a figurative sense describing a naive, pliable young person whose opinions bend easily under pressure. Today cheveril survives mainly in literary and historical contexts, encountered in early modern drama and antiquarian writing rather than everyday speech. Its charm lies in this tactile quality — few words so vividly connect a material property, the give of fine leather, with human malleability, making it a rewarding discovery for readers interested in the texture of older English.
nounA young goat, or leather made from the skin of such an animal; figuratively, a naive or inexperienced young person.
- Leather made from the skin of a young goat, prized for its softness and elasticity.
- A young goat (a kid).
- Figuratively: a naive, easily influenced young person.
""The old tailor still kept a pair of gloves stitched from the softest cheveril.""
"The bookbinder chose pale cheveril to cover the rare first edition."
""You are no cheveril," she warned, "so do not let them twist you to their will.""
Rarely pluralized even in historical texts, since leather is typically treated as a mass noun; the plural appears mostly when counting individual skins or, figuratively, multiple naive youths.
"The tannery shipped a dozen cheverils to the glover's shop each spring."
Shakespeare used "cheveril" to mock a man whose conscience was as stretchy and pliable as kidskin leather — soft enough to bend any way you like.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cheveril
Cheveril entered English in the Middle English period from Old French chevrel, a diminutive of chevre ('goat'), which descends from Latin capra, 'she-goat'. The same Latin root yields the adjective caprine and the zodiac sign Capricorn, tying the word to a wider family of goat-related terms. It was current through the Elizabethan era, when its figurative use became fashionable, before falling into disuse by later centuries.
How cheveril is actually used
Archaic and literary; today found almost exclusively in historical texts, especially Shakespearean criticism, or in deliberate archaic pastiche. The figurative sense exploits the softness and 'stretchiness' of kidskin.
Easily confused with cheveril
Chervil is a delicate culinary herb in the parsley family, while cheveril is an archaic word for a kid goat or its leather.