Leatherman
name, noun
name, noun ·3 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A member of a homosexual male subculture that grew out of male-only motorcycle clubs formed by homosexual veterans returning from World War II, stressing masculinity in contradiction to androgynous and effeminate gay stereotypes, characterized by a fetish for leather gear and clothing, a sense of hierarchy, and a fraternal, militaristic code of protocol and behavior, often involving BDSM practices.
- 2 A multitool, usually with a plier head as the central implement, that has an array of other implements such as knives, screwdrivers, can openers, files, saws, and so on.
- 3 A male leather dealer, leatherworker, or tanner. archaic
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From leather + man. In the gay subculture sense, since the mid-twentieth century. In the leather dealer sense, since centuries earlier; archaic today.
Etymology 2
From the name of the manufacturer, Leatherman Tool Group, named after Timothy Leatherman.
Etymology 3
Occupational surname from leatherman.
Related phrases
More for "leatherman"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.