Definitions of skim [ɪm]

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Definition of 'skim'

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

1. (v.t.) skim
to take up or remove (floating matter) from the surface of a liquid, as with a spoon or ladle.

2.  skim
to clear (liquid) thus:
to skim milk.

3.  skim
to move or glide lightly over or along (a surface, as of water).

4.  skim
to throw in a smooth, gliding path over or near a surface, or so as to bounce or ricochet along a surface:
skimmed a stone across the lake.

5.  skim
to read, study, consider, treat, etc., in a superficial or cursory manner.

6.  skim
to cover with a thin film or layer:
Ice skimmed the lake at night.

7.  skim
to take the best or most available parts or items from:
bargain hunters skimming the flea markets at sunrise.

8.  skim
to take (the best parts or items) from something.

9.  skim
to conceal a portion of (winnings, earnings, etc.) in order to avoid paying taxes, fees, or the like on the full amount (sometimes fol. by off).

10. (v.i.) skim
to pass or glide lightly over or near a surface.

11.  skim
to read, study, consider, etc., something in a superficial or cursory way.

12.  skim
to become covered with a thin film or layer.

13.  skim
to conceal some part of income or profits; practice skimming.

14. (n.) skim
an act or instance of skimming.

15.  skim
something that is skimmed off.

16.  skim
a thin layer or film formed on the surface of something, esp. a liquid.

17.  skim
the amount taken or concealed by skimming.

Etymology: (1375–1425; ME skymen, skemen < OF escumer, der. of

Definition of 'skim'

Princeton's WordNet

1. (noun) skim
a thin layer covering the surface of a liquid
"there was a thin skim of oil on the water"

2. (adj) skim, skimming
reading or glancing through quickly

3. (verb) skim, skimmed
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"

4. (verb) plane, skim
travel on the surface of water

5. (verb) skim over, skim
move or pass swiftly and lightly over the surface of

6. (verb) scan, skim, rake, glance over, run down
examine hastily
"She scanned the newspaper headlines while waiting for the taxi"

7. (verb) skim, skip, skitter
cause to skip over a surface
"Skip a stone across the pond"

8. (verb) skim
coat (a liquid) with a layer

9. (verb) skim, skim off, cream off, cream
remove from the surface
"skim cream from the surface of milk"

10. (verb) skim, skim over
read superficially

Definition of 'skim'

Kernerman English Learner’s Dictionary

1. (verb) skim
to read quickly without taking in details
I skimmed the article looking for his name.

2. skim
to move over water, just touching the surface
a boat skimming across the waves; dragonflies skimming the pond

Definition of 'skim'

Webster Dictionary

1. (adj) skim
contraction of Skimming and Skimmed

2. (verb) skim
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

3. (verb) skim
to take off by skimming; as, to skim cream

4. (verb) skim
to pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of

5. (verb) skim
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

6. (verb) skim
to pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface

7. (verb) skim
to hasten along with superficial attention

8. (verb) skim
to put on the finishing coat of plaster

Translation of 'skim'

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

Sense: to remove (floating matter, eg cream) from the surface of (a liquid) Skim the fat off the gravy.
Afrikaans: afskep	Arabic: يَقْشُد	Bulgarian: обирам каймак
Brazilian: escumar	Czech: sbírat	German: abschöpfen
Danish: skumme	Greek: ξαφρίζω	Spanish: desnatar, descremar, espu
Estonian: (piima) koorima	Farsi: سرشير گرفتن	Finnish: kuoria
French: écrémer; dégraisser	Hebrew: לִגרוֹף	Hindi: मलाई हटाना
Croatian: obrati (mlijeko, pjenu)	Hungarian: lefölöz	Indonesian: mengambil kepala susu
Icelandic: fleyta ofan af	Italian: scremare	Japanese: すくい取る
Korean: (액체 표면의 더껑이를) 걷어내다	Lithuanian: nugriebti	Latvian: noņemt (no virsas); nosme
Malay: melayap	Dutch: afscheppen	Norwegian: skumme
Polish: zbierać, szumować	Persian: سرشير گرفتن	Pashto: ځګ ټولول، پيروي ټولول، شا
Portuguese: escumar	Romanian: a lua spuma; a lua smânt	Russian: снимать
Slovak: zbierať (z povrchu)	Slovenian: posneti	Serbian: skinuti
Swedish: skumma	Thai: ช้อนเอาไขมันที่ลอยเป็นฝ้า	Turkish: sıyırıp almak
Taiwanese: 撈掉漂浮物	Ukrainian: збирати	Urdu: بلونا، کریم نکالنا، جھاگ،
Vietnamese: hớt bọt, hớt váng	Chinese: 撇去漂浮物
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