Word
suede
US/ˈsweɪd/
UK/swˈeɪd/
Definition
n. a type of leather with a soft, fuzzy surface. It is often used to make shoes, jackets, and bags.
n. leather with a napped, velvety finish on the flesh side, produced by buffing or sanding. Often used as a modifier before other nouns.
Examples
“He wore a pair of brown suede shoes to the party.”
“You should apply a protective spray to your suede jacket to prevent water stains from ruining the soft texture.”
“The designer's autumn collection featured heavy use of charcoal suede, contrasting the matte, brushed texture of the hides against the high-gloss finish of polished silk accents.”
Examples
simple
“He wore a pair of brown suede shoes to the party.”
contextual
“You should apply a protective spray to your suede jacket to prevent water stains from ruining the soft texture.”
complex
“The designer's autumn collection featured heavy use of charcoal suede, contrasting the matte, brushed texture of the hides against the high-gloss finish of polished silk accents.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the material; can be used as an attributive noun (e.g., 'suede boots').
Etymology
Borrowed from French gants de Suède (“gloves of Sweden”). Doublet of Swede.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/suede