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skin Definition

skin (skin)

noun

  1. the outer covering or integument of the animal body
  2. such a covering, esp. that of a small animal, when removed from the body and prepared for use; pelt
  3. something like skin in appearance or function; any outer layer, as fruit rind, the shell or plating of a ship, a film or scum, the outermost nacreous layer in a pearl, etc.
  4. a container made of animal skin, used for holding liquids
  5. ☆ Slang a set of drums, esp. in a jazz band
  6. ☆ Slang a dollar

Etymology: ME skinn < ON, akin to Ger schinden, to flay, peel < IE *(s)ken(d)-, to split off (< base *sek-, to cut: see saw) > OIr ceinn, a scale, scurf

transitive verb skinned, skin′·ning

  1. to cover with or as with skin; grow skin on
  2. to remove skin from
  3. to strip or peel off, as or like skin
  4. to injure by scraping or abrading (one's knee, elbow, etc.)
  5. Informal
    1. to defraud or cheat; swindle
    2. ☆ to criticize or scold severely
  6. ☆ Informal to drive or urge on (a mule, ox, etc.)

intransitive verb

  1. to become covered with skin
  2. Informal to climb (up or down)
  3. to move (through), pass (by), succeed, etc. by a very narrow margin

adjective

Slang depicting or involving nudity and, sometimes, explicit sexual activity skin magazine

skin Idioms

be no skin off one's nose

or be no skin off one's back☆

Informal to affect one not at all; be of no direct concern to one

by the skin of one's teeth

by the smallest possible margin; barely

get under someone's skin

☆

Informal to anger or irritate someone

have a thick skin

or have a thin skin

to be insensitive (or acutely sensitive) to blame, criticism, insults, etc.

save one's skin

Informal to avoid harm or injury; esp., to escape death

skin alive

Informal
  1. ☆ to scold or punish severely
  2. to defeat decisively
skin Synonyms

skin

n.

tegument, integument, epithelium, epidermis, dermis, derma, cuticle, scarfskin, trueskin, bark, peel, rind, husk, hide, pelt, fell, coat, carapace, pelage, covering, surface, parchment, vellum.

skin is the general term for the outer covering of the animal body and for the covering, especially if thin and tight, of certain fruits and vegetables human skin, the skin of a peach; hide is used of the tough skins of certain large animals, as of a horse, cow, elephant, etc.; pelt refers to the skin, esp. the untanned skin, of a fur-bearing animal, as of a mink, fox, sheep, etc.; rind applies to the thick, tough covering of certain fruits, as of a watermelon, or of cheeses, bacon, etc.; peel is used of the skin or rind of fruit that has been removed, as by stripping potato peel, lemon peel; bark applies to the hard covering of trees and woody plants

be no skin off one's back<strong> or </strong>nose*

not hurt one, do no harm, not affect one; see prosper, survive 1.

by the skin of one's teeth*

(just) barely, scarcely, narrowly; see hardly.

get under one's skin*

irritate, disturb, upset; see anger 1.

have a thick skin*

be indifferent, not care, shrug off; see endure 1, 2.

have a thin skin*

be sensitive or timid or readily hurt, etc., wince, cringe; see suffer 1.

save one's skin*

get away or out, evade, leave (just) in time; see escape, leave 1, survive 1.

with a whole skin*

safe, unharmed, undamaged; see saved 1, unhurt.

skin Synonyms

skin

v.

peel, pare, flay, scalp, slough, cast, shed, excoriate, decorticate, exuviate, strip, strip off, pull off, remove the surface from, skin alive, husk, shuck, bark, lay bare, bare.

skin Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • irritate: Using too much soap powder will leave a residue in the diapers that can irritate the skin.
  • penetrate: No - the Laser Pointers do not penetrate the skin.
  • soothe: It contains chickweed, a herb that has been used for centuries to heal cuts and wounds and soothe itchy, irritated skin.
  • moisturize: It also softens and moisturizes hardened skin of the elbows.
  • soften: Use plenty of moisturizing cream to soothe and soften the skin.

Adjective modifier

  • itchy: It contains chickweed, a herb that has been used for centuries to heal cuts and wounds and soothe itchy, irritated skin.
  • sensitive: Tiny flakes can stick to fingers so avoid rubbing the eyes or exposing sensitive skin when handling the material and wash hands thoroughly afterward.
  • oily: Great for oily skin - really sucks up excess oils.
  • dry: I have very dry, tight skin - not flaky - just tight.
  • outer: Remove and discard the tough outer skin from the lemon grass stalks and roughly chop.
  • pale: Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, vomiting, muscle cramps and spasms, pale skin, weak pulse and high temperature.

Modifies a noun

  • rash: Occasionally, skin rash with or without irritation or difficulty in passing urine may occur.
  • irritation: Diaper rash Diaper rash is a skin irritation that occurs on the skin of a baby in the diaper area.
  • cancer: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, with over 40,000 new cases every year.
  • graft: He was placed in a side ward eventually, his treatment began of six skin grafts.
  • lesion: There were large numbers of circular skin lesions, some bleeding.
  • tone: I mean pink, not skin tone, really pink.

Noun used with modifier

  • banana: The nutrients in the banana skin are supposed to make the cabbages grow quickly.
  • non-melanoma: Exposure to UVB increases the risk of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, two forms of non-melanoma skin cancer.
  • acne: Acne Skin Care There are so many acne skin care products out there in the market.
skin Quotes

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.

—Bible (Old Testament)

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? thenmay yealso dogood, that areaccustomedto do evil.

—Bible (Old Testament)

I learned in New Jersey that to be a Negro meant, precisely, that one was never looked at but was simplyat themercyofthereflexesthecolorofone'sskincaused in other people.

—Baldwin,James Arthur

No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, theycan be taught to love, for love comesmore naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

—Mandela, Nelson Rolihlahla

   Every man who comes to England is entitled to the protection of the English law, whatever oppression he may heretofore have suffered, and whatever may be the colour of his skin, whether it is black or whether it is white.

—Mansfield,William Murray, 1st Earl

A man who publishes his letters becomes a nudistönothing shields him from the world's gaze except his bare skin.

—White, E(lwyn) B(rooks)

For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his electrical skin and glaring eyes. For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life. For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun loves him. For he is of the tribe of Tiger.

—Smart, Christopher

So I lie, whose fount of pride, Dear distress, and joy allied, Is my somber flesh and skin, With the dark blood dammed within.

—Cullen, Countee

Le langage est une peau: je frotte mon langage contre l'autre. Language is a skin; I rub my language against another language.

—Barthes, Roland

   Whenyouareskinning yourcustomers,youshould leave some skin on to grow so that you can skin them again.

—Khrushchev, Nikita Sergeyevich

The heart never knows the colour of the skin.

—George, Chief Dan

There was a faith-healer of Deal Who said,'Although pain isn't real, If I sit on a pin 22 And it punctures my skin, I dislike what I fancy I feel.'

—Anonymous

The skin and shell of things Though fair are not Thy wish nor prayer but got My meer despair of wings.

—Vaughan, Henry

I have been told, both in approval and accusation, that I seemto loveall mycharacters.What Idoinwriting of any character istotry toenter intothemind, heart and skinof a human being who is not myself.Whether this happens to be a man ora woman, old or young, with skin blackor white, the primary challenge lies in making the jump itself. It is the act of a writer's imagination that I set most high.

—Welty, Eudora

Experience has taught me, when I am shaving of a morning, to keep watch over my thoughts, because, if a line of poetry strays into my memory, my skin bristles so that the razor ceases to act. 416

—Housman, A(lfred) E(dward)

And truly, even Plato, whosoever well considereth shall find that in the body of his work, though the inside and strength were philosophy, the skin as it were and beauty depended most on poetry.

—Sidney, Sir Philip

Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.But put forththinehand now, and touchhisboneand his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

—Bible (Old Testament)

You've got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made, Of people whose skin is a different shade. You've got to be carefully taught. You've got to be taught before it's too late, Before you are six or seven or eight, To hate all the people your relatives hate. You've got to be carefully taught.

—Hammerstein, Oscar, II

I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

—Bible (Old Testament)

But the skin of progress Masks, unknown, the spotted wolf of sameness.

—Soyinka,Wole pseudonym of Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka

Webster was much possessed by death And saw the skull beneath the skin; And breastless creatures under ground Leaned backward with a lipless grin.

—Eliot,T(homas) S(tearns)

   On a sofa upholstered in panther skin Mona did researches in original sin.

—Plomer,William

   As he drew near, he gazed upon the gate Ne'er to be entered more by him or Sin, With such a glance of supernatural hate, As made Saint Peter wish himself within; He pattered with his keys at a great rate, And sweated through his apostolic skin: Of course his perspiration was but ichor, Or some such other spiritual liquor.

—Rochdale

   Clear the air! clean the sky! wash the wind! take the stonefromthestone, taketheskinfromthearm, takethe muscle from bone, and wash them.

—Eliot,T(homas) S(tearns)

A sort of walking miracle, my skin Bright as a Nazi lampshade.

—Plath, Sylvia

   I have a horror of the word 'flesh', which has become so shopworn.Why not 'meat'whilethey're about it? What I like is skin, a young girl's skin that is pink and shows that she has a good circulation.

—Renoir, Pierre Auguste