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skin

n. C / U
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈskɪn// UK //skˈɪn// skin Archaic General-service Informal Slang

n. the natural outer layer that covers the body of a person or animal. It can also mean the outer layer of a fruit or vegetable.

n. the thin, flexible outer integument of a human or animal body. In botanical contexts, it refers to the epicarp or outer peel of a fruit or vegetable.


SIMPLE

The sun feels warm on my skin.

CONTEXTUAL

You should apply sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful ultraviolet rays during the summer.

COMPLEX

The dermatologist explained that the skin is the body's largest organ, serving as a vital barrier against pathogens and regulating internal temperature through sweat production.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English skyn, skinn, from Old English scinn, from Old Norse skinn (“animal hide”), from Proto-Germanic skinþą, from Proto-Indo-European sken- (“to split off”), nasal variant of *skeh₁i-d- (“to cut”). Partially displaced native Old English hȳd (“skin, hide”), from which derives hide. Cognate with Dutch schinde (“bark”), dialectal German Schinde (“fruit peel”); also Breton skant (“scales”), Old Irish cenn (“covering, shell”), Irish scáin (“to tear, burst”), Latin scindō (“to split, divide”), Sanskrit छिनत्ति (chinátti, “to split”).

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the tissue in general; countable when referring to a specific hide or a digital interface design.

Idioms13 entries

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