Adjacent Words

Skim definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SKIM, n. (a different orthography of scum;
Scum; the thich matter that forms on the surface of a liquor.
SKIM, v.t.
1. To take off the thick gross matter which separates from any liquid substance and collects on the surface; as, to skim milk by taking off the cream.
2. To take off by skimming; as, to skim cream.
3. To pass near the surface; to brush the surface slightly.
SKIM, v.i.
1. To pass lightly; to glide along in an even smooth course, or without flapping; as, an eagle or hawk skims along the etherial regions.
2. To glide along near the surface; to pass lightly.
3. To hasten over superficially or with slight attention.
They skim over a science in a superficial survey.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: used of milk and milk products from which the cream has been removed; "yogurt made with skim milk"; "she can drink skimmed milk but should avoid butter" [syn: skim, skimmed] n
1: a thin layer covering the surface of a liquid; "there was a thin skim of oil on the water"
2: reading or glancing through quickly [syn: skim, skimming] v
1: travel on the surface of water [syn: plane, skim]
2: move or pass swiftly and lightly over the surface of [syn: skim over, skim]
3: examine hastily; "She scanned the newspaper headlines while waiting for the taxi" [syn: scan, skim, rake, glance over, run down]
4: cause to skip over a surface; "Skip a stone across the pond" [syn: skim, skip, skitter]
5: coat (a liquid) with a layer
6: remove from the surface; "skim cream from the surface of milk" [syn: skim, skim off, cream off, cream]
7: read superficially [syn: skim, skim over]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (skimmed; skimming) Etymology: Middle English skymmen, skemen, probably from Anglo-French escumer, from escume foam, scum, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch schum scum — more at scum Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to clear (a liquid) of scum or floating substance <skim boiling syrup> b. to remove (as film or scum) from the surface of a liquid c. to remove cream from by skimming d. to remove the best or most easily obtainable contents from 2. to read, study, or examine superficially and rapidly; especially to glance through (as a book) for the chief ideas or the plot 3. to throw in a gliding path; especially to throw so as to ricochet along the surface of water 4. to cover with or as if with a film, scum, or coat 5. to pass swiftly or lightly over 6. a. to remove or conceal (as a portion of casino profits) to avoid payment of taxes b. embezzle <skimming money from employee pension plans> intransitive verb 1. a. to pass lightly or hastily ; glide or skip along, above, or near a surface b. to give a cursory glance, consideration, or reading 2. to become coated with a thin layer of film or scum 3. to put on a finishing coat of plaster 4. to embezzle money II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a thin layer, coating, or film 2. the act of skimming 3. something skimmed; specifically skim milk III. adjective Date: 1794 1. having the cream removed by skimming 2. made of skim milk <skim cheese>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. (skimmed, skimming) 1 tr. a take scum or cream or a floating layer from the surface of (a liquid). b take (cream etc.) from the surface of a liquid. 2 tr. a keep touching lightly or nearly touching (a surface) in passing over. b deal with or treat (a subject) superficially. 3 intr. a (often foll. by over, along) go lightly over a surface, glide along in the air. b (foll. by over) = sense 2b of v. 4 a tr. read superficially, look over cursorily, gather the salient facts contained in. b intr. (usu. foll. by through) read or look over cursorily. 5 tr. US sl. conceal or divert (income) to avoid paying tax. --n. 1 the act or an instance of skimming. 2 a thin covering on a liquid (skim of ice). Phrases and idioms: skim the cream off take the best part of. skim (or skimmed) milk milk from which the cream has been skimmed. Etymology: ME, back-form. f. SKIMMER

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Skim Skim, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skimmed; p. pr. & vb. n. Skimming.] [Cf. Sw. skymma to darken. [root]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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Skim Skim, v. i. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Skim Skim, a. 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(skims, skimming, skimmed) 1. If you skim something from the surface of a liquid, you remove it. Rough seas today prevented specially equipped ships from skimming oil off the water's surface... Skim off the fat. VERB: V n off/from n, V n with off 2. If something skims a surface, it moves quickly along just above it. ...seagulls skimming the waves... The little boat was skimming across the sunlit surface of the bay. VERB: V n, V over/across n 3. If you skim a piece of writing, you read through it quickly. He skimmed the pages quickly, then read them again more carefully... I only had time to skim through the script before I flew over here. VERB: V n, V through n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. Pass lightly or superficially.

Moby Thesaurus

avalanche, ball the jack, barrel, blink, boom, bowl along, breeze, breeze along, browse, brush, brush by, carefully ignore, caress, carom, clip, coast, cold-shoulder, come in contact, contact, cream, cut a corner, cut along, cut corners, dap, dart, dip into, dodge, drift, examine cursorily, fleet, flit, float, flow, fly, fly low, foot, fudge, ghost, give the once-over, glance, glance at, glance over, glance through, glide, glissade, go fast, graze, highball, hit, ice-skate, impinge, kiss, make knots, nip, nudge, osculate, outstrip the wind, page through, pass over, pass over lightly, plow the deep, pour it on, remove, ricochet, ride, ride the sea, rip, roller-skate, rub, run, run over, run through, sail, scamp, scan, scorch, scrape, scratch the surface, scud, separate, shave, shoot, sideslip, sideswipe, sizzle, skate, skateboard, ski, skid, skim over, skim the surface, skimp, skip, skip over, skirt, sled, sleigh, slidder, slide, slide down, slight, slip, slip through, slither, slubber over, slur, slur over, soar, speed, squeak by, storm along, sweep, take off, tear, tear along, thumb over, thumb through, thunder along, toboggan, touch, touch lightly, touch upon, touch upon lightly, walk the waters, whisk, whiz, zing, zip, zip through, zoom