What does snakeskin mean?
Snakeskin is the skin of a snake, particularly the thin outer covering that is shed as the animal grows. The term is also used for genuine snake leather and for imitation materials made to resemble its distinctive pattern. In clothing and accessories, snakeskin commonly appears in combinations such as snakeskin jacket, snakeskin boots, and snakeskin belt. These uses can suggest luxury, boldness, or an exotic style, although the material itself is simply the skin of a reptile. The word is normally written as one word, unlike the two-word expression snake skin, which can describe loose or shed skin more generally. Snakeskin is useful because it names both an animal product and a familiar cultural symbol associated with fashion, danger, transformation, and renewal.
nounThe skin of a snake, especially its shed outer skin. By extension, snakeskin also refers to leather made from a snake's skin or to imitation material with a similar pattern.
- The skin of a snake, especially the outer skin that a snake sheds.
- Leather made from the skin of a snake, or a manufactured material designed to resemble it.
"She fastened the narrow belt of her snakeskin jacket around her waist."
"The snake left a piece of snakeskin on the warm stone."
"He wore a black snakeskin jacket with a high collar."
The plural is used for individual skins, pieces of skin, or separate items made from the material. As a general reference to snake skin in bulk, snakeskin is usually treated as an uncountable noun.
"The shop displayed several snakeskins beside the finished belts."
A snake can shed its skin, but the word snakeskin usually points to the skin itself—or to the striking material made from it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does snakeskin come from?
Snakeskin is a transparent English compound formed from snake and skin. Snake comes from Old English snaca, while skin comes from Old English scinn. The compound developed from these established words to name the covering of a snake and, later, the material made from it; related forms such as snakelike and snakeless continue to use the same basic root.
How snakeskin is actually used
As a material term, snakeskin can refer to genuine leather or imitation material. The spelling is normally one word. The word is also used attributively in phrases such as snakeskin jacket and snakeskin boots.