skim

skim
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
>

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • əskimə — «Əskimək»dən f. is …   Azərbaycan dilinin izahlı lüğəti

  • skim — [skım] v past tense and past participle skimmed present participle skimming [Date: 1400 1500; Origin: Perhaps from scum to remove scum (14 19 centuries), from scum (noun)] 1.) [T] to remove something from the surface of a liquid, especially… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • skim — skim; skim·mel·ton; skim·mia; skim·ming; skim·ming·ly; skim·ming·ton; skim·mi·ty; skim·ble skam·ble; skim·mer; skim·mer·ton; …   English syllables

  • skim — [skɪm] verb skimmed PTandPPX skimming PRESPARTX [transitive] also skim off to take money illegally, for example by not saying that you have made profits so that you do not have to pay tax: • He was accused of s …   Financial and business terms

  • skim — [ skım ] verb 1. ) intransitive or transitive to move quickly over the surface of something, or to make something do this: We stood on the bridge watching swallows skimming the water. skim across/over: Water skiers skimmed across the bay. a )… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • skim — /skim/, v., skimmed, skimming, n. v.t. 1. to take up or remove (floating matter) from the surface of a liquid, as with a spoon or ladle: to skim the cream from milk. 2. to clear (liquid) thus: to skim milk. 3. to move or glide lightly over or… …   Universalium

  • Skim — (sk[i^]m), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Skimmed} (sk[i^]md); 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Skim — Skim, a. Contraction of {Skimming} and {Skimmed}. [1913 Webster] {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 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Skim — may refer to:*Skimming (reading), a high speed reading process *Skimboarding, a sport which involves riding a board on wet sand or shallow water *Skimming (casinos), a practice in which organized crime took part of the take collected by casinos… …   Wikipedia

  • skim — [skim] vt. skimmed, skimming [ME skimen, prob. akin to SCUM] 1. a) to clear (a liquid) of floating matter b) to remove (floating matter) from a liquid 2. to coat or cover with a thin layer [a pond skimmed with ice] …   English World dictionary

  • Skim — Skim, v. i. 1. To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface. [1913 Webster] Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, Flies o er the unbending corn, and skims along the main. Pope. [1913 Webster] 2 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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