Leathery means hard, dry, and a bit stiff, the way leather feels in your hand — not soft, not smooth, not juicy. We do not use it for leather itself. We use it for other things that have started to feel like leather. Skin can turn leathery after years in the sun, or when it is very old and dry. Meat is leathery when you chew and chew and it still will not give; people say this when the steak is overcooked or from a tough cut. Some leaves and fruit skins are leathery too: thick, dull, and not easy to tear. It is an ordinary descriptive word, a little negative when you talk about food or skin, and quite at home in nature writing. It is about feel and surface, not about colour.