Having the tough, wrinkled texture or appearance of leather; hard and dry rather than soft or moist.
From leather plus the -y suffix meaning 'having the quality of.' Leather comes from Old English 'lether,' from Germanic roots meaning the treated skin of animals.
A leathery texture in skin happens because repeated sun exposure damages collagen and elastin—ironically, the same proteins that make actual leather durable are what keeps our skin flexible when they're healthy.
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