SHAGREEN, or CHAGREEN, in commerce, a kind of grained leather prepared of the skin of a species of SQUALUS, much used in covering cases, books, &c.
Manner of preparing SHAGREEN. The skin, being slayed off, is stretched out, covered over with mullard-feed, and the feed bruised on it; and thus it is exposed to the weather for some days, and then tanned.
The best is that brought from Constantinople, of a brownish colour; the white is the worst. It is extremely hard; yet, when steeped in water, it becomes very soft and pliable; whence it is of great use among case-makers. It takes any colour that is given it, red, green, yellow, or black. It is frequently counterfeited by morocco, formed like shagreen; but this last is distinguished by its peeling off, which the first does not.
SHAIK properly signifies an old man. In the east it is used to denote a lord or chief, a man of eminence and property. See SCHIECHS.