Rawhide

/ˈrɔːhaɪd/ noun

Definition

Animal skin that has been treated but not tanned or made into leather; often used to make ropes, whips, or dog chews.

Etymology

Compound of 'raw' + 'hide,' from Old English 'hyd' (animal skin). The term emerged in American frontier contexts where untanned hides were commonly used for practical purposes.

Kelly Says

Rawhide dog chews are popular partly because they're digestible (unlike some plastics), but puppies need supervision because large pieces can cause choking—the name is literally descriptive: it's raw animal hide!

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