sheepskin
noun
Simple meaning
Tanned skin of a sheep with the fleece left on.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sheepskinSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈʃipskɪn
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Tanned skin of a sheep with the fleece left on; used for clothing
“Her winter coat was made of sheepskin with the fleece facing inward.”
Skin of a sheep or goat prepared for writing on
uncountable
The skin of a sheep, especially an adult sheep, and especially when used to make parchment or in bookbinding.
uscountable
A diploma, especially the one representing a university or college degree.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Tanned skin of a sheep with the fleece left on; used for clothing
Used this way, sheepskin is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Her winter coat was made of sheepskin with the fleece facing inward.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “sheepskin with …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Nearby words
- lambskin , rarer, so it draws attention
Natural pattern: sheepskin with …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “sheepskin” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.