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Glite Dictionary
🧥 A warm hide 🎓 A diploma 📜 Writing material
sheepskin

sheepskin

1 5.6
Prepared sheep or goat hide used for writing before paper
  • noun
  • /ˈʃiːpˌskɪn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : pergamino
  • Before paper became common, scribes often used sheepskin for their important writings.
  • sheepskin parchment

They also found a piece of sheepskin parchment.

Examples

  • They also found a piece of sheepskin parchment.

    Ear Biscuits

  • And the parchment was mostly made out of sheepskin or goatskin.

  • Take that sheepskin and scratch out the science part.

    Blog text (21)

  • The ancient manuscript was beautifully written on a piece of sheepskin parchment.

  • The historian displayed a rare document penned on sheepskin that dated back to the 12th century.

Synonyms

parchment
vssheepskin
8 8.4

A writing material made from prepared sheep or goat skin

refers specifically to the actual animal skin used for writing before paper
vellum
vssheepskin
1 9.9

A smooth writing surface made from young animal skin like calf or lamb

is the ordinary prepared skin for writing rather than a fine young animal form
lambskin
vssheepskin
7.3

Prepared skin from a sheep or young goat that people use for writing old books

is the general prepared skin for writing not limited to young animals

Compounds

sheepskin coat
1 2.9

A warm coat made from sheep skin with the wool still attached

How Soft

kid
44 8.4
sheepskin
  • Archaic
1 5.6
calfskin
4 6.0
cowhide
1 3.2

Surface Forms

sheepskin singular
sheepskins plural

Morphology

sheepskin = sheep + skin (transparent) = sheep + skin

Compositional meaning 'skin of a sheep' used as a writing or material surface, directly inferable from the parts.

Etymology

Sheepskin was also the name for a sheep's skin prepared for writing, used like early 'paper' because it was strong and long-lasting. So when you hear about a medieval document on sheepskin, it means the text was written on that animal skin.