skin

¹skin

noun, often attributive \ˈskin\

Definition of SKIN

1

a (1) : the integument of an animal (as a fur-bearing mammal or a bird) separated from the body usually with its hair or feathers (2) : a usually unmounted specimen of a vertebrate (as in a museum) b : the hide or pelt of a game or domestic animal c (1) : the pelt of an animal prepared for use as a trimming or in a garment — compare ⁴hide (2) : a sheet of parchment or vellum made from a hide (3) : bottle 1b

2

a : the external limiting tissue layer of an animal body; especially : the 2-layered covering of a vertebrate body consisting of an outer epidermis and an inner dermis b : an outer covering (as a rind or husk) of a fruit or seed c : a membranous film or scum (as on boiling milk or drying paint)

3

: the life or physical well-being of a person <saved his own skin>

4

: a sheathing or casing forming the outside surface of a structure (as a ship or airplane)

— skin·less \-ləs\ adjective

— by the skin of one's teeth

: by a very narrow margin

— under one's skin

: so deeply penetrative as to irritate, stimulate, provoke thought, or otherwise excite

— under the skin

: beneath apparent or surface differences : at heart

Examples of SKIN

1. the rough skin of a shark
2. Choose makeup that matches your skin tone.
3. These snakes shed their skins once a year.
4. Native Americans had many uses for animal skins.
5. His boots are made of alligator skin.
6. Potato skin is very nutritious.

Origin of SKIN

Middle English, from Old Norse skinn; akin to Old English scinn skin, Middle High German schint fruit peel

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to SKIN

Synonyms: face, outside, shell, exterior, surface, veneer

Antonyms: inside, interior

Related Words: facade (also façade), front, top; cover, covering, facing; appearance, disguise, guise, mask, semblance, show

see all synonyms and antonyms

[+]more[-]hide

Other Fur and Leather Terms

chamois, fell, kip

Rhymes with SKIN

bin, blin, chin, din, fin, Finn, Fyn, gin, grin, Gwyn, hin, in, inn, kin, linn, Lynn, pin, shin, Shin, sin, spin, thin, tin, twin, whin, win, wynn, yin, zin