skin

plural skins · alternative obsolete skinne

1. uncountableThe outer protective layer of the body of any animal, including of a human.

   He is so disgusting he makes my skin crawl.

   1 more example

   Her skin is pale like chicken skin, after you have peel[ed] all the feathers.

   2020, Abi Daré, The Girl With The Louding Voice, Sceptre, page 184

2. uncountableThe outer protective layer of the fruit of a plant.

   Synonyms: peel, pericarp

3. countableThe skin and fur of an individual animal used by humans for clothing, upholstery, etc.

   you know good leather, you know the best way to tan the hides and where to find the best skins

   2011, Iris Gower, The Wild Seed, Transworld

   Synonyms: hide, pelt

4. countableA congealed layer on the surface of a liquid.

   Do you eat the skin on custard?

   1 more example

   In order to get to the rest of the paint in the can, you′ll have to remove the skin floating on top of it.

   Synonyms: film

5. countablecomputingA set of resources that modifies the appearance and/or layout of the graphical user interface of a computer program.

   You can use this skin to change how the browser looks.

6. countablevideo gamesAn alternate appearance (texture map or geometry) for a character model in a video game.

   My friend likes to use a Spider-Man skin in Fortnite.

   1 more example

   However, the misconception regarding skin hitboxes was created by a subset of players who believed that wearing thinner skins enhanced their gameplay.

   2024 March 16, Rishabh Sabarwal, “Fortnite hitboxes: Do skins have a competitive advantage?”, in Dexerto, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2024

7. countableslangRolling paper for cigarettes.

   Pass me a skin, mate.

8. abbreviationclippingcountableslangClipping of skinhead.

   By the end of the show, fights would break out all over the place: the Atlantic City skins against the crew from Philly; the oldschool skinheads feuding with overzealous fresh-cuts.

   2017, Christian Picciolini, White American Youth

9. AustraliacountableuncountableA subgroup of Australian aboriginal people.

   The younger brother questions the correctness of the pursuit of the girls. "They may be of the wrong subsection," he suggests. "We can take wrong skins," says the older brother, but the younger still holds back.

   1984, Maxwell John Charlesworth, Howard Morphy, Diane Bell, Religion in Aboriginal Australia: An Anthology, page 361

   Synonyms: moiety

10. countableslanguncountableBare flesh, particularly bare breasts.

    Let me see a bit of skin.

11. abbreviationclippingcountableuncountableClipping of drumskin
12. countableuncountableA vessel made of skin, used for holding liquids.

    the Bacchic train, Who brought their skins of wine, and loaded poles That bent with mighty clusters of black grapes

    1843, Richard Henry Horne, Orion

13. countableuncountablenauticalThat part of a sail, when furled, which remains on the outside and covers the whole.

    The skin of the sail is made of stretch-resistant Mylar

    (Can we date this quote?), “Textile Technology Digest”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)

14. countableuncountablenauticalThe 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.
15. countableuncountableaeronauticsThe outer surface covering much of the wings and fuselage of an aircraft.
16. countableuncountableA drink of whisky served hot.
17. IrelandUKcountableslanguncountableA person; chap.

    He was a decent old skin.

    1 more example

    PAUDI:”I fucking love the pair of ye! You’re good lads. You’re loyal skins”

    2019, Joe Murragh, Colin Barrett, 54:50 from the start, in Calm With Horses (film), spoken by Paudi (Ned Dennehy)

18. UKcountableobsoleteuncountablethieves' cantA purse.

    […] and away I scampered with the tiddlywink-table, while Teddy Limber […] frisked the yokel of his yack and skin.

    1863, George William MacArthur Reynolds, The Mysteries of the Court of London, volume 3, page 86

19. countableuncountablehobbiesA member of the team not wearing shirts, in a shirts and skins game.

present singular third person skins · participle present skinning · participle past skinned · past skinned · US participle past regional skint · US past regional skint · alternative obsolete skinne

1. transitiveTo injure the skin of.

   He fell off his bike and skinned his knee on the concrete.

   Synonyms: bark, chafe, excoriate, graze, scrape

2. transitiveTo remove the skin and/or fur of an animal or a human.

   Synonyms: flay, fleece, flense, scalp

3. colloquialTo high five.
4. colloquialtransitivecomputingTo apply a skin to (a computer program).

   Can I skin the application to put the picture of my cat on it?

5. UKtransitiveball gamesTo use tricks to go past a defender.

   1 more example

   The Russian, sometimes out of sorts in recent weeks, was seeing plenty of the ball on the left-hand side up against Hunt, a 20-year-old right-back making his first Huddersfield start. Arshavin skinned the youngster at the first opportunity and crossed for Bendtner, who could not direct his close-range effort on target.

   2011 January 30, Kevin Darlng, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Huddersfield”, in BBC

6. intransitiveTo become covered with skin or a skin-like layer.

   A wound eventually skins over.

   1 more example

   Leftover acrylic paint will often skin as it partially dries.

7. transitiveTo cover with skin, or as if with skin; hence, to cover superficially.

   It will but skin and film the ulcerous place.

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]

8. USarchaicslangTo produce, in recitation, examination, etc., the work of another for one's own, or to use cribs, memoranda, etc., which are prohibited.
9. datedslangTo strip of money or property; to cheat.
10. intransitiveobsoleteslangTo sneak off.
11. transitiveartTo remove the top layers of paint from, revealing parts of the underlying medium or canvas.
12. abbreviationShort for skin up (“travel uphill on skis, snowboard, or bicycle”)