Leatherback \Leath"er*back`\, n. (Zool.) A large sea turtle ({Sphargis coriacea}), having no bony shell on its back. It is common in the warm and temperate parts of the Atlantic, and sometimes weighs over a thousand pounds; -- called also {leather turtle}, {leathery turtle}, {leather-backed tortoise}, etc. [1913 Webster] Leatheret