leatherneck

L1E1A1T1H4E1R1N1E1C3K5
Australia, UK/ˈlɛð.ə.nɛk/US/ˈlɛð.ɚ.nɛk/

noun

A soldier.

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marinedevil dogshipboard soldier
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Meanings

nounleatherneck (plural leathernecks)

plural leathernecks

  1. slangA soldier.
  2. USSpecifically, a marine.

    The Marine Corps has instituted a martial-arts program in which leathernecks are indoctrinated in a new code of honor, the Ethical Marine Warrior.

    2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 318

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna member of the United States Marine Corps

Similar
marinedevil dogshipboard soldier
Broader
military personnel
Also see
devil dogmarine

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From leather + neck.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

leatherneck. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leatherneck

MLA

“leatherneck.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leatherneck. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leatherneck,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leatherneck.

Source: leatherneck on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.