(informal) another word for chamois (sense 3) Also called shammy leather
Word Origin
C18: variant, influenced by the pronunciation, of chamois
Word Origin and History for shammy
n.
1650s, phonetic spelling of chamois. Other bungled spellings include shambo (1610s), shamois, shamoys, shammies. Cf. shay from chaise; shappo (1700) for chapeau; shapperoon (1620s) for chaperon.