sheepskin
/'ʃi:pskin/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A document certifying the successful completion of a course of study: A diploma or degree, often informally referring to the parchment it is printed on.
- The skin of a sheep or goat prepared for writing on: A material historically used as a writing surface for important documents.
- Tanned skin of a sheep with the fleece left on; used for clothing: Leather with the wool still attached, used to make garments, rugs, or other items.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Diploma):
- After four years of hard work, she finally received her sheepskin.
- He proudly framed his medical school sheepskin and hung it in his office.
- Noun (Writing Material):
- Ancient manuscripts were often written on durable sheepskin.
- Noun (Clothing Material):
- The pilot wore a warm sheepskin jacket during the winter flights.
- A traditional sheepskin rug lay in front of the fireplace.
Advanced Usage
- "To earn one's sheepskin": To complete one's studies and receive a diploma.
- He worked two jobs while attending night school to earn his sheepskin.
- Used metonymically where the material (parchment) represents the award itself.
- The ceremony wasn't about the sheepskin itself, but about the knowledge gained.
Variants and Related Words
- Sheepskin coat: A coat made from sheepskin leather with the fleece on the inside.
- Sheepskin seat cover: A cover for car seats made from sheepskin.
- Parchment: A general term for animal skin prepared for writing, which can include sheepskin.
- Diploma: A more formal and common synonym for the certificate meaning.
Synonyms
- For the document: diploma, degree, certificate, parchment.
- For the material: fleece, lambskin, pelt, hide.
Related Phrases
- Sheepskin lining: The soft fleece part of the skin used as an insulating layer inside boots or coats.
- These boots have a genuine sheepskin lining for ultimate warmth.
- In sheep's clothing: (Idiom, related conceptually) Referring to something dangerous disguised as something harmless, from the phrase "a wolf in sheep's clothing."
- Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true; they might be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Notes on Meaning
The word encompasses both a concrete object (the skin of a sheep) and an abstract concept (the certification it symbolizes). The connection stems from the historical use of fine parchment made from sheepskin for formal documents and diplomas.
Noun
- a document certifying the successful completion of a course of study
- skin of a sheep or goat prepared for writing on
- tanned skin of a sheep with the fleece left on; used for clothing