skate

¹skate

noun \ˈskāt\

plural skates also skate

Definition of SKATE

:  any of a family (Rajidae, especially genus Raja) of rays with the pectoral fins greatly developed giving the fish a flat diamond shape

Is it "healthy" or "healthful"?
Watch and find out! »

Illustration of SKATE

Origin of SKATE

Middle English scate, from Old Norse skata

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Fishes Terms

char, chum, ichthyology, smelt, tetra, turbot

Rhymes with SKATE

ait, bait, bate, blate, cate, crate, date, eight, fate, fete, freight, gait, gate, grate, great, haet, hate, late, mate, pate, plait, plate, prate, quoit, rate, sate, slate, spate, state, straight, strait, teth, trait, wait, weight

²skate

noun

Definition of SKATE

1

a :  a metal frame that can be fitted to the sole of a shoe and to which is attached a runner or a set of wheels for gliding over ice or a surface other than ice

b :  roller skate; especially :  in-line skate

c :  ice skate

2

:  a period of skating

Origin of SKATE

modification of Dutch schaats, from Middle Dutch schaetse stilt, from Old French dialect (Flanders, Hainaut) *escace, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old English sceacan to shake — more at shake

First Known Use: 1684

³skate

verb

: to move or glide over a surface on skates

: to ride or perform tricks on a skateboard

: to move or glide quickly along a surface

skat·edskat·ing

Full Definition of SKATE

intransitive verb

1

:  to glide along on skates propelled by the alternate action of the legs

2

:  to slip or glide as if on skates

3

:  to proceed in a superficial or blithe manner

transitive verb

:  to go along or through by skating

Examples of SKATE

1. hockey players skating into position
2. Couples skated around the rink.
3. She skated an excellent program in the competition.
4. We skate at the park.
5. The bugs skated along the surface of the water.

First Known Use of SKATE

1696

⁴skate

noun

Definition of SKATE

1

:  a thin awkward-looking or decrepit horse :  nag

2

:  fellow 4c

Origin of SKATE

probably alteration of English dialect skite an offensive person

First Known Use: 1894

skate

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any of nine genera (suborder Rajoidea) of rounded to diamond-shaped rays. These bottom-dwellers are found from tropical to near-Arctic waters and from the shallows to depths of more than 9,000 ft (2,700 m). Most have spines on the upper surface, and some have weak electrical organs in their long, slender tails. Skates lay oblong, leathery eggs (called mermaid's purses), which are often found on beaches. Species vary from 20 in. (50 cm) to 8 ft (2.5 m) long. They swim with an undulating movement of their pectoral fins. They trap active mollusk, crustacean, and fish prey by dropping down on them from above. Skates' “wings” are edible.