Meanings
skinner1
plural skinners
- Someone who skins animals.
- A hunting knife used for skinning animal carcasses.
- A machine used for removing the skin from animal carcasses.
- One who deals in skins, pelts, or hides.
- CanadaderogatoryslangA child sexual abuser.
- slanggamblingAn instance of skinning the lamb, i.e. a bookmaker winning all of his bets where nobody backed the winner.
Skinner2
plural Skinners
- countableuncountableA surname originating as an occupation.
“As typical of a flu season, some areas are being harder hit than other areas,” said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner.
2014 January 17, Miriam Falco, “Some states hit harder by flu this year”, in CNN - countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Audrain County, Missouri, United States.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna worker who drives mules
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
skinner · noun
- Middle Englishskynner
- Englishskinner
From Middle English skynner, skinner, skynnere, schynnere, equivalent to skin + -er. Cognate with Old Norse skinnari (“skinner”), Old Swedish skinnare (“skinner”), Middle Low German schinder, schinner (“skinner”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Skinner · proper noun
The family surname is occupational in origin, meaning "one who prepares skins". Before becoming used as a surname the word skinner was commonly used to identify someone who treated animal skins. Alternatively, it may be borrowed from Danish and meaning "Keeper of Robes" or "skins then worn" which also hints at the historical connection to tradespeople who were involved with furs and hides.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian кожар
- кожар (kožar)someone who skins animals
Catalan escorxador
- escorxadorsomeone who skins animals
Finnish nylkijä, nahkuri
- nylkijäsomeone who skins animals
- nahkurisomeone who skins animals
French écorcheur, écorcheuse
- écorcheursomeone who skins animals
- écorcheusesomeone who skins animals
Hungarian nyúzó, szűcs
- nyúzósomeone who skins animals
- szűcssomeone who skins animals
- tímársomeone who skins animals
Romanian pielar
- pielarsomeone who skins animals
Russian скорня́к
- скорня́к (skornják)someone who skins animals
Spanish desollador
- desolladorsomeone who skins animals
Tagalog tagalabos
- tagalabossomeone who skins animals
Turkish yüzücü
- yüzücüsomeone who skins animals
Cite this entry
skinner. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skinner
“skinner.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skinner. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “skinner,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skinner.
Source: skinner on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.