coriaceous

/,kɔri'eiʃəs/

Thân thiện

The artisan carefully bends a coriaceous strip of material to test its flexibility.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Resembling leather in texture or appearance; tough yet flexible: Describes something that has the physical qualities of leather—specifically, being durable, strong, and somewhat pliable, but not soft.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:
  • The plant's leaves were thick and coriaceous, helping it retain water in the arid climate.
  • After years of use, the old book's binding had become coriaceous to the touch.

Advanced Usage

• In Botanical Descriptions: The term is frequently used in botany and biology to describe plant leaves, seed pods, or animal integuments that are leathery in texture.
  • The botanist noted the coriaceous nature of the orchid's leaves, a common adaptation in epiphytes.

Variants and Related Words

• Coriaceousness (n): The state or quality of being coriaceous.
  • The coriaceousness of the material made it ideal for durable outdoor gear.

Synonyms

• Leathery: Having a texture like leather.
• Tough: Strong and durable.
• Pliable: Capable of being bent or flexed without breaking.

Antonyms

• Brittle: Hard but liable to break easily.
• Delicate: Very fine or easily damaged.
• Soft: Easy to mold, cut, or compress.

Notes on Usage

• Formality and Field: "Coriaceous" is a formal, technical term primarily used in scientific contexts (e.g., botany, zoology, mycology). It is rarely used in everyday conversation.
• Precision: It specifically denotes a combination of toughness and flexibility, not just hardness. A rock is tough but not coriaceous because it is not pliable.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. resembling or made to resemble leather; tough but pliable

Từ đồng nghĩa

• leathered
• leatherlike
• leathery