morocco

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a soft, durable leather, traditionally goatskin and often pebble-grained, used for fine bookbindings and luxury goods

   The diary was bound in dark green morocco.

2. 2
   noun

   a sheepskin or other leather finished to imitate traditional morocco leather

   The catalog described the cheaper sheepskin binding as imitation morocco.

The leather is named after Morocco, historically also spelled Marocco, because such leather was associated with and exported through the region. The country name reached English through Portuguese Marrocos or Spanish Marruecos, from Arabic Marrakush, originally the city Marrakesh.

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