What does pigskin mean?
Pigskin is leather made from the skin of a pig. Historically, footballs were made from tightly inflated pigskin, and the word consequently became an informal American term for a football, especially when the game or its equipment is being discussed nostalgically. Today, its first sense is relatively uncommon, though it remains a precise traditional term and can appear in descriptions of historical clothing, bindings, sporting goods, and other leather objects. The word can also evoke the early development of football, when the ball was commonly described as a pigskin because of its material. In general, “pigskin” is more evocative and specific than the neutral words “leather” or “hide,” while “football” refers to the ball itself and may imply the modern game rather than its historical construction.
nounLeather made from the skin of a pig, or a football made from such leather. In informal American usage, “pigskin” can also refer to the football itself.
- Leather made from the skin of a pig.
- A football, especially in informal American usage.
- Historically, a football made with a pig-leather covering.
"The old encyclopedia was bound in pigskin, while the football lay on the table beside it."
"The gloves were made of soft pigskin."
"He threw the pigskin across the field."
"The early football was made from a rounded piece of pigskin."
The plural can refer to multiple pieces of pig leather or, in informal American usage, multiple footballs.
"The museum displays pigskins used in early versions of the game."
A football once had a nickname that literally described its material: pigskin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pigskin come from?
“Pigskin” is an English compound formed from “pig” and “skin.” Both elements have Germanic origins: the word “pig” appears in Old English as “pigge,” while “skin” is also an Old English word with Germanic ancestry. The compound reflects the material from which early footballs and other leather goods were traditionally made.
How pigskin is actually used
The material sense is uncommon in modern everyday speech but remains traditional and literary. The sense meaning “football” is especially associated with American informal usage and often conveys a nostalgic or historical tone.
Easily confused with pigskin
Leather is the general material made from animal hide, whereas pigskin specifically refers to leather made from the skin of a pig.