Definition of shagreen in English:

noun

• 1Sharkskin used as a decorative material or, due to its natural rough surface of pointed scales, as an abrasive.

  Example sentences

  • ‘This field of shagreen is limited to a strip along the dorsal lip of the prearticular and the denticulated texture of the dorsal surface does not grade in from the mesial surface as in other Late Devonian tetrapods.’
  • ‘The shagreen patch, a thickened orange-peel-textured area of connective tissue hamartoma, is most often found on the mid to lower back.’
  • ‘For example, the pterygoid flange is scored as having a single row of teeth along the posterior margin, rather than a shagreen of small denticles, as might be more appropriate.’
  • ‘Pseudopecten dentatus, however, is prosocline, more equilateral and flaring, and lacks shagreen or near-shagreen microornament.’
  • ‘For example, the ventral surface of the parasphenoid, variably bears an extremely fine shagreen of tiny, sharply conical denticles, giving the bone surface a sandpaper-like texture.’

• 2A kind of untanned leather with a rough granulated surface.

  Example sentences

  • ‘The knife, fork, and spoon were usually housed in a leather or shagreen case, although sometimes a more exotic material such as silver filigree was used.’
  • ‘The French examples, typically with chalcedony handles and shagreen cases, are of the very finest workmanship.’
  • ‘Maison Gerard, meanwhile, show a sumptuous pair of Jules Leleu commodes from the 1940s, covered in white shagreen and with sycamore interiors, gilt-bronze mounts and coral-red lacquer tops.’
  • ‘The endangered Magazine Mountain shagreen is restricted to a single population found on the talus slopes of Magazine Mountain in the Ozark National Forest of Arkansas.’
  • ‘Cooper felt shagreen possessed ‘some of the qualities of both M of P [mother-of-pearl] & leather.’