ENGLISH
REFERENCE

skittle

n.
US //ˈskɪtəɫ// UK //skˈɪtəl// skit·tle
Synonyms
Origin

Origin unknown. Perhaps of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse skutill (“bolt, harpoon”), related to skjóta (“to shoot”), but the OED dismisses this connection as conjecture. The Old Norse word is related to Swedish and Danish skyttel (“shuttle, child's toy”). Compare also Old English sċytel (“a dart, bolt”). More at shuttle.

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