Xu Collection, Middle Volume
Radical: Leather (gé)
Entry: 20
Page 1391, Entry 10
Pronounced kuo (falling tone).
According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to animal hide with the fur removed. In the Analects (Lunyu), it is used to describe the hides of tigers and leopards.
Furthermore, from the Book of Odes (Shijing), Qi Wind section: The sound of the carriage moving rapidly is loud; the bamboo mat and carriage curtains are covered in red hide. The commentary states that the state carriages used by the feudal lords were made of vermillion leather and decorated with feathers. The explanation of the text notes the pronunciation as kuo (falling tone), meaning leather. The Collected Rhymes (Jiyun) also records it written in the variant form kuo (falling tone).
Textual research: In the Book of Odes (Shijing), Qi Wind section, the original text says the thin mat and red hide. Following the original text, the character for mat has been corrected.