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Glite Dictionary
box calf

box calf

8.7
Smooth shiny leather made from the skin of a young cow and used for high quality shoes and bags
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : piel de ternera
  • Traditional men's dress shoes are often crafted from polished box calf.

Examples

  • The shoemaker recommended box calf for its durability and elegant finish.

  • Her favorite handbag was made of luxurious box calf, giving it a stylish sheen.

  • The new shoes are made of box calf leather.

  • I prefer box calf for my dress shoes.

  • The shoemaker recommended box calf leather for its durability and elegant finish.

  • Her favorite handbag was made of luxurious box calf, giving it a stylish sheen.

  • Traditional men's dress shoes are often crafted from polished box calf.

Synonyms

calfskin
vsbox calf
4 6.0

Leather from the skin of a young calf that is smooth and strong

is chromium tanned and usually black for high quality shoes
calf
vsbox calf
3 7.2

Soft leather made from the skin of a young cow

is chromium tanned and usually black for high quality shoes

How Smooth

box calf
  • Specialized
8.7
calfskin
4 6.0

Surface Forms

box calf singular
box calfs plural

Morphology

box + calf

The noun 'calf' signals calfskin leather, so learners who know that constituent would infer the phrase refers to a type of leather. However, 'box' here names a specific tanning/finish (a technical shoemaking sense) that cannot be predicted from the common meaning 'box' (container), so the overall meaning is only partially derivable without specialist knowledge.

Etymology

Box calf may come from the small wooden box used to press and polish young calf skins, which left the leather very smooth and shiny. So today box calf means a fine, 'smooth, shiny' calfskin leather often used for dress shoes.