What does "skin" mean?

1. (body covering) the natural outer layer that covers the body of a person or animal. 2. (fruit/vegetable covering) the outer layer of a fruit or vegetable. 3. (animal hide) the skin of an animal that has been removed to be used for clothing or leather. 4. (software/game appearance) a set of graphics that changes how a computer program or video game character looks. 5. (outer surface of a vehicle) the outer metal or plastic covering of an aircraft or ship. 6. (to remove the outer layer) to take the skin off an animal or a fruit. 7. (to scrape your skin) to hurt your skin by rubbing it against something rough.

skin — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01body covering

A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun

n. the natural outer layer that covers the body of a person or animal.

n. the thin layer of tissue forming the natural outer covering of the body of a person or animal.

“You should wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.”

“The dermatologist explained that the skin is the body's largest organ and requires consistent hydration to maintain its protective barrier.”

Synonyms

fleshintegument

02fruit/vegetable covering

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Cooking

n. the outer layer of a fruit or vegetable.

n. the peel or outer integument of a fruit, vegetable, or seed.

“I usually eat apples with the skin on because it has many vitamins.”

“The recipe specifies that the potatoes should be boiled in their skins to preserve the texture before mashing.”

Synonyms

peelrindshell

03animal hide

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. the skin of an animal that has been removed to be used for clothing or leather.

n. the hide or pelt of an animal, especially when removed from the body for use as a material.

“In the past, people used animal skins to stay warm during the winter.”

“The indigenous hunters traditionally used every part of the caribou, including the skins for clothing and tent covers.”

Synonyms

hide pelt leather

04software/game appearance

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Computing

n. a set of graphics that changes how a computer program or video game character looks.

n. a customised graphical user interface (GUI) or character model texture that alters the visual appearance without changing functionality.

“He bought a new skin for his character in the game to make it look like a robot.”

“The media player allows users to download various skins to match their desktop aesthetic.”

Synonyms

theme texture interface

05outer surface of a vehicle

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Aviation Technical

n. the outer metal or plastic covering of an aircraft or ship.

n. the external surface covering the framework of an aircraft's fuselage or a ship's hull.

“Engineers checked the plane's skin for any small cracks before the flight.”

“The aircraft's aluminium skin must withstand extreme pressure changes and temperature fluctuations during transcontinental flights.”

Synonyms

casing shell hull

06to remove the outer layer

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to take the skin off an animal or a fruit.

v. to strip the skin, pelt, or peel from a biological specimen.

“The chef showed us how to skin the fish quickly with a sharp knife.”

“The taxidermist carefully skinned the specimen to ensure the fur remained intact for the museum display.”

Synonyms

peel flay strip

07to scrape your skin

B1 · Intermediate

v. to hurt your skin by rubbing it against something rough.

v. to abrade or graze the surface of the skin through friction.

“The little boy fell off his bike and skinned his knee on the pavement.”

“She skinned her elbow against the brick wall while trying to squeeze through the narrow passage.”

Synonyms

scrape graze abrade

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”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

skin(A2)

ADJECTIVE

cutaneous epidermal epidermis smoothest toughen