Skilful Skil"ful adjective See Skilful .

Skill Skill noun [ Icelandic skil a distinction, discernment; akin to skilja to separate, divide, distinguish, Swedish skilja ,. skille to separate, skiel reason, right, justice, Swedish skäl reason, Lithuanian skelli to cleave. Confer Shell , Shoal , a multitude.] 1. Discrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause. [ Obsolete] Shak. "As it was skill and right." Chaucer.

For great skill is, he prove that he wrought.

[ For with good reason he should test what he created.] Chaucer.

2. Knowledge; understanding. [ Obsoles.]

That by his fellowship he color might
Both his estate and love from skill of any wight.

Spenser.

Nor want we skill or art.

Milton.

3. The familiar knowledge of any art or science, united with readiness and dexterity in execution or performance, or in the application of the art or science to practical purposes; power to discern and execute; ability to perceive and perform; expertness; aptitude; as, the skill of a mathematician, physician, surgeon, mechanic, etc.

Phocion, . . . by his great wisdom and skill at negotiations, diverted Alexander from the conquest of Athens.

Swift.

Where patience her sweet skill imparts.

Keble.

4. Display of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address. [ Obsolete]

Richard . . . by a thousand princely skills , gathering so much corn as if he meant not to return.

Fuller.

5. Any particular art. [ Obsolete]

Learned in one skill , and in another kind of learning unskillful.

Hooker.

Syn. -- Dexterity; adroitness; expertness; art; aptitude; ability. -- Skill , Dexterity , Adroitness . Skill is more intelligent, denoting familiar knowledge united to readiness of performance. Dexterity , when applied to the body, is more mechanical, and refers to habitual ease of execution. Adroitness involves the same image with dexterity , and differs from it as implaying a general facility of movement (especially in avoidance of danger or in escaping from a difficalty). The same distinctions apply to the figurative sense of the words. A man is skillful in any employment when he understands both its theory and its practice. He is dexterous when he maneuvers with great lightness. He is adroit in the use od quick, sudden, and well-directed movements of the body or the mind, so as to effect the object he has in view.

Skill Skill transitive verb To know; to understand. [ Obsolete]

To skill the arts of expressing our mind.

Barrow.

Skill Skill intransitive verb 1. To be knowing; to have understanding; to be dexterous in performance. [ Obsolete]

I can not skill of these thy ways.

Herbert.

2. To make a difference; to signify; to matter; -- used impersonally. Spenser.

What skills it, if a bag of stones or gold
About thy neck do drown thee?

Herbert.

It skills not talking of it.

Sir W. Scott.

Skill-less Skill"-less adjective Wanting skill. Shak.

Skilled Skilled adjective Having familiar knowledge united with readiness and dexterity in its application; familiarly acquainted with; expert; skillful; -- often followed by in ; as, a person skilled in drawing or geometry.

Skillet Skil"let noun [ Old French escuelette , dim. of escuelle a porringer, French ecuelle , from Latin scutella , dim. of scutra , scuta , a dish. Confer Scuttle a basket.] A small vessel of iron, copper, or other metal, with a handle, used for culinary purpose, as for stewing meat.

Skillful Skill"ful adjective [ Written also skilful .] 1. Discerning; reasonable; judicious; cunning. [ Obsolete] "Of skillful judgment." Chaucer.

2. Possessed of, or displaying, skill; knowing and ready; expert; well-versed; able in management; as, a skillful mechanic; -- often followed by at , in , or of ; as, skillful at the organ; skillful in drawing.

And they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skillful of lamentations to wailing.

Amos v. 16.

Syn. -- Expert; skilled; dexterous; adept; masterly; adroit; clever; cunning.

-- Skill"ful*ly , adverb -- Skill"ful*ness , noun

Skilligalee Skil`li·ga·lee" noun A kind of thin, weak broth or oatmeal porridge, served out to prisoners and paupers in England; also, a drink made of oatmeal, sugar, and water, sometimes used in the English navy or army. [ Written also skilligolee , skillygalee , etc.]

Skilling Skil"ling noun [ Confer Sheeling .] A bay of a barn; also, a slight addition to a cottage. [ Prov. Eng.]

Skilling Skil"ling noun [ Swedish & Dan. See Shilling .] A money od account in Sweden, Norwey, Denmark, and North Germany, and also a coin. It had various values, from three fourths of a cent in Norway to more than two cents in Lübeck.

Skilts Skilts noun plural A kind of large, coarse, short trousers formerly worn. [ Local, U. S.] Bartlett.

Skilty Skil"ty noun The water rail. [ Prov. Eng.]

Skim Skim (skĭm) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Skimmed (skĭmd); present participle & verbal noun Skimming .] [ Confer Swedish skymma to darken. √158. See Scum .] 1. To clear (a liquid) from scum or substance floating or lying thereon, by means of a utensil that passes just beneath the surface; as, to skim milk; to skim broth.

2. To take off by skimming; as, to skim cream.

3. To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of.

Homer describes Mercury as flinging himself from the top of Olympus, and skimming the surface of the ocean.

Hazlitt.

4. Fig.: To read or examine superficially and rapidly, in order to cull the principal facts or thoughts; as, to skim a book or a newspaper.

Skim Skim intransitive verb 1. To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.

Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain,
Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main.

Pope.

2. To hasten along with superficial attention.

They skim over a science in a very superficial survey.

I. Watts.

3. To put on the finishing coat of plaster.

Skim Skim adjective Contraction of Skimming and Skimmed .

Skim coat , the final or finishing coat of plaster. -- Skim colter , a colter for paring off the surface of land. -- Skim milk , skimmed milk; milk from which the cream has been taken.

Skim Skim noun Scum; refuse. Bryskett.

Skimback Skim"back` (skĭm"băk`) noun (Zoology) The quillback. [ Local, U.S.]

Skimble-scamble Skim"ble-scam`ble adjective [ A reduplication of scamble .] Rambling; disorderly; unconnected. [ Colloq.]

Such a deal of skimble-scamble stuff.

Shak.

Skimitry Skim"i·try noun See Skimmington .

Skimmer Skim"mer noun 1. One who, or that which, skims; esp., a utensil with which liquids are skimmed.

2. (Zoology) Any species of longwinged marine birds of the genus Rhynchops , allied to the terns, but having the lower mandible compressed and much longer than the upper one. These birds fly rapidly along the surface of the water, with the lower mandible immersed, thus skimming out small fishes. The American species ( R. nigra ) is common on the southern coasts of the United States. Called also scissorbill , and shearbill .

3. (Zoology) Any one of several large bivalve shells, sometimes used for skimming milk, as the sea clams, and large scallops.

Skimmerton Skim"mer·ton noun See Skimmington .

Skimming Skim"ming noun 1. The act of one who skims.

2. That which is skimmed from the surface of a liquid; -- chiefly used in the plural; as, the skimmings of broth.

Skimmingly Skim"ming·ly adverb In a skimming manner.

Skimmington Skim"ming·ton noun [ Etymol. uncertain. Perhaps the name of some notorius scold.] A word employed in the phrase, To ride Skimmington ; that is to ride on a horse with a woman, but behind her, facing backward, carrying a distaff, and accompanied by a procession of jeering neighbors making mock music; a cavalcade in ridicule of a henpecked man. The custom was in vogue in parts of England.

Skimp Skimp transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Skimped ; present participle & verbal noun Skimping .] [ Confer Skinch , Scamp , transitive verb ] 1. To slight; to do carelessly; to scamp. [ Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

2. To make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp. [ Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

Skimp Skimp intransitive verb To save; to be parsimonious or niggardly. [ Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Skimp Skimp adjective Scanty. [ Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Skin Skin noun [ Icelandic skinn ; akin to Swedish skinn , Danish skind , Anglo-Saxon scinn , German schined to skin.] 1. (Anat.) The external membranous integument of an animal.

» In man, and the vertebrates generally, the skin consist of two layers, an outer nonsensitive and nonvascular epidermis , cuticle , or skarfskin , composed of cells which are constantly growing and multiplying in the deeper, and being thrown off in the superficial, layers; and an inner sensitive, and vascular dermis , cutis , corium , or true skin , composed mostly of connective tissue.

2. The hide of an animal, separated from the body, whether green, dry, or tanned; especially, that of a small animal, as a calf, sheep, or goat.

3. A vessel made of skin, used for holding liquids. See Bottle , 1. " Skins of wine." Tennyson.

4. The bark or husk of a plant or fruit; the exterior coat of fruits and plants.

5. (Nautical) (a) That part of a sail, when furled, which remains on the outside and covers the whole. Totten. (b) The covering, as of planking or iron plates, outside the framing, forming the sides and bottom of a vessel; the shell; also, a lining inside the framing.

Skin friction , Skin resistance (Nautical) , the friction, or resistance, caused by the tendency of water to adhere to the immersed surface (skin) of a vessel. -- Skin graft (Surg.) , a small portion of skin used in the process of grafting. See Graft , transitive verb , 2. -- Skin moth (Zoology) , any insect which destroys the prepared skins of animals, especially the larva of Dermestes and Anthrenus. -- Skin of the teeth , nothing, or next to nothing; the least possible hold or advantage. Job xix. 20. -- Skin wool , wool taken from dead sheep.

Skin Skin transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Skinned ; present participle & verbal noun Skinning .] 1. To strip off the skin or hide of; to flay; to peel; as, to skin an animal.

2. To cover with skin, or as with skin; hence, to cover superficially.

It will but skin and film the ulcerous place.

Shak.

3. To strip of money or property; to cheat. [ Slang]

Skin Skin intransitive verb 1. To become covered with skin; as, a wound skins over.

2. To produce, in recitation, examination, etc., the work of another for one's own, or to use in such exercise cribs, memeoranda, etc., which are prohibited. [ College Cant, U.S.]

Skin-deep Skin"-deep` adjective Not deeper than the skin; hence, superficial. Lowell.

Skinbound Skin"bound` adjective Having the skin adhering closely and rigidly to the flesh; hidebound.

Skinbound disease . (Medicine) See Sclerema neonatorum , under Sclerema .

Skinch Skinch transitive verb & i. [ imperfect & past participle Skinched ; present participle & verbal noun Skinching .] [ Confer Scant .] To give scant measure; to squeeze or pinch in order to effect a saving. [ Prev. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Skinflint Skin"flint` noun [ Skin + flint .] A penurious person; a miser; a niggard. Sir W. Scott.

Skinful Skin"ful noun ; plural Skinfuls As much as a skin can hold.

Skink Skink noun [ Latin scincus , Greek .............] [ Written also scink .] (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of regularly scaled harmless lizards of the family Scincidæ , common in the warmer parts of all the continents.

» The officinal skink ( Scincus officinalis ) inhabits the sandy plains of South Africa. It was believed by the ancients to be a specific for various diseases. A common slender species ( Seps tridactylus ) of Southern Europe was formerly believed to produce fatal diseases in cattle by mere contact. The American skinks include numerous species of the genus Eumeces , as the blue-tailed skink ( E. fasciatus ) of the Eastern United States. The ground skink, or ground lizard ( Oligosoma laterale ) inhabits the Southern United States.

Skink Skink transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Skinked ; present participle & verbal noun Skinking .] [ Icelandic skenja ; akin to Swedish skäka , Danish skienke , Anglo-Saxon scencan , D. & German schenken . As. scencan is usually derived from sceonc , sceanc , shank, a hollow bone being supposed to have been used to draw off liquor from a cask. √161. See Shank , and confer Nunchion .] To draw or serve, as drink. [ Obsolete]

Bacchus the wine them skinketh all about.

Chaucer.

Such wine as Ganymede doth skink to Jove.

Shirley.

Skink Skink intransitive verb To serve or draw liquor. [ Obsolete]

Skink Skink noun Drink; also, pottage. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

Skinker Skink"er noun One who serves liquor; a tapster.

Skinless Skin"less adjective Having no skin, or a very thin skin; as, skinless fruit.

Skinner Skin"ner noun 1. One who skins.

2. One who deals in skins, pelts, or hides.

Skinniness Skin"ni·ness noun Quality of being skinny.

Skinny Skin"ny adjective Consisting, or chiefly consisting, of skin; wanting flesh. "Her skinny lips." Shak.

He holds him with a skinny hand.

Coleridge.

Skip Skip noun [ See Skep .] 1. A basket. See Skep . [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

2. A basket on wheels, used in cotton factories.

3. (Mining) An iron bucket, which slides between guides, for hoisting mineral and rock.

4. (Sugar Manuf.) A charge of sirup in the pans.

5. A beehive; a skep.

Skip Skip intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Skipped ; present participle & verbal noun Skipping .] [ Middle English skippen , of uncertain origin; confer Icelandic skopa run, skoppa to spin like a top, OSw. & dial. Swedish skimmpa to run, skimpa , skompa , to hop, skip; or Ir. sgiob to snatch, Gael. sgiab to start or move suddenly, to snatch, W. ysgipio to snatch.] 1. To leap lightly; to move in leaps and hounds; -- commonly implying a sportive spirit.

The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day,
Had he thy reason, would he skip and play?

Pope.

So she drew her mother away skipping , dancing, and frisking fantastically.

Hawthorne.

2. Fig.: To leave matters unnoticed, as in reading, speaking, or writing; to pass by, or overlook, portions of a thing; -- often followed by over .

Skip Skip transitive verb 1. To leap lightly over; as, to skip the rope.

2. To pass over or by without notice; to omit; to miss; as, to skip a line in reading; to skip a lesson.

They who have a mind to see the issue may skip these two chapters.

Bp. Burnet.

3. To cause to skip; as, to skip a stone. [ Colloq.]

Skip Skip noun 1. A light leap or bound.

2. The act of passing over an interval from one thing to another; an omission of a part.

3. (Mus.) A passage from one sound to another by more than a degree at once. Busby.

Skip kennel , a lackey; a footboy. [ Slang.] Swift. -- Skip mackerel . (Zoology) See Bluefish , 1.

Skipjack Skip"jack` noun 1. An upstart. [ Obsolete] Ford.

2. (Zoology) An elater; a snap bug, or snapping beetle.

3. (Zoology) A name given to several kinds of a fish, as the common bluefish, the alewife, the bonito, the butterfish, the cutlass fish, the jurel, the leather jacket, the runner, the saurel, the saury, the threadfish, etc.

4. (Nautical) A shallow sailboat with a rectilinear or V-shaped cross section.

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