1650s, from Latin corium "skin, hide, leather," related to cortex "bark," scortum "skin, hide," from PIE root *(s)ker- (1) "to cut" (cognates: Sanskrit krtih "hide;" Old Church Slavonic scora "skin," Russian skora "hide," kora "bark;" Welsh corwg "boat made with leather skins;" Old English sceran "to cut, shear;" see shear, v.). Related: Coriaceous.