a. Forms: 1 leðer(e)n, leðren, 4–5 lether(e)ne, letherin, 5 leddering, 6 leth(e)ren, lethrin, letheryn, Sc. ledderane, ledderyn, leddren, lethrone, leathering, 6–7 leatherne, 7 leathren, lethern, 6– leathern. [OE. leðeren, f. leðer LEATHER sb. + -EN; cf. Du. lederen, G. ledern. The earlier OE. form was liðerin, liðrin = OS. litharin (gloss), OHG. lidrîn.]
1. Consisting or made of leather. Leathern convenience, -ency: a circumlocution for a coach, originally imputed to the Quakers; hence in jocular use.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 123/30. Scortia, leþren fæt.
c. 1050. Suppl. Ælfric’s Voc., ibid., 179/6. Scortius leðern.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. V. 110. Lyk a letherne pors lullede his chekes.
1382. Wyclif, Lev. xiii. 59. This is the lawe of the lepre … of all letherin purtenaunce.
1488. Inv. R. Wardr. (1815), 12. Item in a leddering purs. … tuelf score & xvi salutis.
1521. Churchw. Acc. Pilton (Som. Rec. Soc.), 74. Item payde for a letheryn baag to ber ye keys—iiiid.
1546. Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844), I. 234. Ane ledderane coit worth tua crovnis of the sone.
1583. Leg. Bp. St. Androis, 574. A cott of kelt Weill beltit in ane lethrone belt.
1634. Milton, Comus, 626. He … Would … in requitall ope his leather’n scrip.
1683. Brit. Spec., 14. The poorest of them were good Leathern Shooes.
1699. E. Ward, Lond. Spy, VII. (1702), 3. Our Leathern-Conveniency being bound in the Braces to its Good-Behaviour had no more Sway than a Funeral Herse.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Leathern Convenience (by the Quakers), a Coach.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, III. 322. Men with leathern Buckets, do quench Fire in a Town.
1796. Combe, Boydell’s Thames, II. 123. Robert Scot, the inventor of leathern artillery.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, xx. At the duly appointed hour, creaked forth the leathern convenience.
1836. W. Irving, Astoria, I. 120. The Crow camp … was composed of leathern tents.
1861. J. Y. Simpson, Archæol., 56. Human bodies … covered with the leathern and other dresses in which they died.
b. Used with reference to the skin of the living animal.
a. 1325. Names of Hare, in Rel. Ant., I. 134. The hert with the letherene hornes.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., II. i. 37. Such groanes That their discharge did stretch his leatherne coat Almost to bursting.
1851. Longf., Gold. Leg., IV. Road to Hirschau. The horses distend their leathern sides with water.
c. nonce-use. Skin-clad.
1596. Edward III., II. ii. 120. Since leathern Adam till this youngest hour.
2. Made of a substance resembling leather; leather-like. Said esp. of the bat’s wings, hence of its flight, and occas. of the bat itself. Also fig.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XIII. Prol. 33. Vpgois the bak wyth hir pelit ledderyn flycht.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, IX. xxv. 164. An hideous dragon … With iron pawes, and leathren wings displaid.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. iii. 153. But … the late-corrected Leathern Ears of the circumcised Brethren.
1687. Death’s Vis., ix. note 4 (1713), 43. It has been a Question whether the Leathern Bat (as ’tis call’d) be to be annumber’d among Birds or Beasts.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XII. 514. So to the beam the bat tenacious clings, And pendant round it clasps his leathern wings.
1746. Collins, Ode to Even., iii. The weak-eyed bat … flits by on leathern wing.
1812. H. & J. Smith, Rej. Addr., The Theatre. Who’s that calls ‘Silence!’ with such leathern lungs?
1879. Todhunter, Alcestis, 100. Death … thou shalt fly no more, For all thy leathern wings.
1886. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., Leathern-bird, the bat.
1895. Mrs. B. M. Croker, Village Tales (1896), 100. Her wondrous loveliness stirred even the leathern hearts of these hill-men.
Comb. 1664. Evelyn, Pomona, 44. The thick skin, or leathern-coat [= leather-coat (apple)].
1818. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., Leg. Sleepy Hollow. Old farmers, a spare leathern-faced race.
Hence Leathernly adv., ? clumsily.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., 33. A Comedie … which was so filthily acted, so leathernly set forth, as would haue moued laughter in Heraclitus.
