le cuir

"Cuir" in French means "leather." It refers to the material made by tanning animal hides, commonly used for making clothing, shoes, bags, furniture, and other goods.

Meaning and usage:

• "Cuir" is a masculine noun (le cuir).
• It designates the durable and flexible material obtained after processing animal skin.
• Also used metaphorically to refer to someone's toughness or resilience, e.g., "avoir le cuir dur" means "to be tough" or "thick-skinned."

Synonyms and differences:

• Peau: Means "skin." This refers to the natural outer covering of an animal or person. Before tanning, an animal's skin is called "peau"; after processing, it becomes "cuir."
• Similicuir: Means "faux cuir" or "imitation leather," a synthetic material designed to look like leather but is not real leather.
• Tannage (process-related term): Refers to the tanning process that converts "peau" into "cuir."

In summary, "cuir" specifically refers to the processed, tanned material used in various products, whereas "peau" is the raw skin before transformation.