häuten

Häuten is a term used in German with two related senses: as a verb and as a noun (plural form Häute).

As a verb, häuten means to skin or flay an animal by removing its skin. It is used in contexts such as hunting, butchery, and leather production. The past participle is gehäutet, and the forms include ich häute, du häutest, er häutet, wir häuten, ihr häutet, sie häuten. In everyday language this action is typically associated with preparing animal hides for further processing.

As a noun, Häute refers to skins or hides, primarily of animals. In this sense it denotes the outer covering that can be processed into leather. Häute are categorized by quality and thickness and are central to the leather industry, where they are cured and treated to become leather goods. The term can also appear in anatomical or older texts to denote membranes or protective coverings (for example, mucous or serous membranes), though in contemporary anatomy the specific terms Haut (skin) and verschiedene Arten von Häuten (membranes) are more common.

Related terms include Haut (skin), Leder (leather), and Fell (pelt or fur). The word’s use varies by context, with the noun emphasizing the material aspect of hides and the verb describing the act of removing the skin.