Spanish word

pellejo

Pronunciation

IPA/peˈʝexo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounskin

Example

Me quemé el pellejo en la playa.

I burned my skin at the beach.

Illustration for pellejo (skin)

More examples

No toques el pellejo quemado.

Don't touch the burned skin.

Core concept

Raw animal hide or the outer skin of an animal or person, sometimes processed into leather.

Common phrases

  • quemarse el pellejo

    burn one's skin badly

  • el pellejo de cerdo

    pig skin

Similar words

piel: Soft external layer of the body that covers and protects underlying tissues.
cuero: Animal hide that has been tanned and finished into strong, durable leather.
cutis: Skin of the face, especially its surface quality and appearance in cosmetic contexts.

Definition in Spanish

Se refiere a la capa exterior del cuerpo de animales o personas; también a la piel quitada o curtida usada como cuero y a usos coloquiales relacionados.

Word origin

The Spanish term pellejo derives from Latin pellis 'skin' and by medieval Romance usage came to denote raw hide, processed leather, and figurative references to a person's skin.

Usage tips

  • It often appears in colloquial idioms such as salvar el pellejo ('save one's skin'), so it is frequent in informal speech about escaping harm or injury.

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