First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
1skin
noun, often attributive \ˈskin\
: the natural outer layer of tissue that covers the body of a person or animal
: the skin of an animal that has been removed from the body often with its hair or feathers still attached and that is used to make things (such as clothes)
: the outer covering of a fruit, vegetable, etc.
Full Definition of SKIN
1
a (1) : the integument of an animal (as a fur-bearing mammal or a bird) separated from the body usually with its hair or feathers (2) : a usually unmounted specimen of a vertebrate (as in a museum) b : the hide or pelt of a game or domestic animal c (1) : the pelt of an animal prepared for use as a trimming or in a garment — compare 4hide (2) : a sheet of parchment or vellum made from a hide (3) : bottle 1b
2
a : the external limiting tissue layer of an animal body; especially : the 2-layered covering of a vertebrate body consisting of an outer epidermis and an inner dermis b : an outer covering (as a rind or husk) of a fruit or seed c : a membranous film or scum (as on boiling milk or drying paint)
3
: the life or physical well-being of a person <saved his own skin>
4
: a sheathing or casing forming the outside surface of a structure (as a ship or airplane)
— skin·less \-ləs\ adjective
— by the skin of one's teeth
: by a very narrow margin
— under one's skin
: so deeply penetrative as to irritate, stimulate, provoke thought, or otherwise excite
— under the skin
: beneath apparent or surface differences : at heart
See skin defined for English-language learners
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Origin of SKIN
Middle English, from Old Norse skinn; akin to Old English scinn skin, Middle High German schint fruit peel
2skin
verb
: to remove the skin of (an animal, fruit, or vegetable)
: to scrape or rub off some of the skin from (a body part)
skinnedskin·ning
Full Definition of SKIN
transitive verb
1
a : to strip, scrape, or rub off an outer covering (as the skin or rind) of b : to strip or peel off c : to cut, chip, or damage the surface of <fell and skinned my knee>
2
a : to cover with or as if with skin b : to heal over with skin
4
: to urge on and direct the course of (as a draft animal)
intransitive verb
1
: to become covered with or as if with skin
2
a : shinny b : to pass or get by with scant room to spare
See skin defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of SKIN
14th century
3skin
adjective
Definition of SKIN
: devoted to showing nudes <skin magazines>
First Known Use of SKIN
1933
SKIN Defined for Kids
1skin
noun \ˈskin\
Definition of SKIN for Kids
1
: the usually flexible outer layer of an animal body that in vertebrate animals is made up of two layers of cells forming an inner dermis and an outer epidermis
2
: the hide of an animal
3
: an outer or surface layer <potato skins>
— skin·less \-ləs\ adjective
— skinned \ˈskind\ adjective <smooth-skinned>
2skin
verb
skinnedskin·ning
Definition of SKIN for Kids
1
: to strip, scrape, or rub off the skin of <This was the first summer her knees had not been skinned a dozen times … — Betsy Byars, The Summer of the Swans>
2
: to remove an outer layer from (as by peeling)
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