sky

1 of 2

noun

plural skies
1
: the upper atmosphere or expanse of space that constitutes an apparent great vault or arch over the earth
2
3
a
: weather in the upper atmosphere
b
: climate
temperate English skiesG. G. Coulton

sky

2 of 2

verb

skied or skyed; skying

transitive verb

1
chiefly British : to throw or toss up : flip
2
: to hang (something, such as a painting) above the line of vision
3
: to hit (a ball) high into the air

intransitive verb

: to jump high
sky for a rebound

Examples of sky in a Sentence

Noun There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Dark clouds moved quickly across the sky. Hailstones suddenly fell out of the sky. The sun was high in the sky. The forecast is for sunny skies tomorrow. a patch of blue sky
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
With spring fully sprung, winter woes have melted away and the sun stays in the sky longer and longer each day. Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2024 Showers should gradually die out in the evening, with clearing skies by morning. David Streit, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Oh, also, one night all the stars in the sky start blinking on and off. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Nitrogen and sulfur, which are washed out of the sky by precipitation, can contaminate soil and water. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 The Devil Comet is located south and to the left of Jupiter, which is pretty low in the sky. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 Each day for the next three months, the sun will get higher in the sky – and the daily amount of daylight longer – until the summer solstice in June. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Previously on Scrub Hub:What's that odd gobbling-like sound way up in the sky? Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Mar. 2024 But not all floats come with that option, and some canopies only work when the sun is at specific heights in the sky. Maya Polton, Parents, 18 Mar. 2024
Verb
Russia’s war in Ukraine sent energy prices sky high. Raf Casert, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2024 But Robinson made a break for the ball before it was thrown; eventually skying to come up with an interception at the goal line. Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 Sep. 2023 Diego Peralta controlled possession down the left hash before skying the ball over to Leo Pappas filling the right lane. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023 But trailing, 12-9, with the bases loaded, Triston Casas just missed the sweet spot on a Coulombe cutter, skying out to center to end the threat. Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023 Two plays later, O'Neil and Johnson connected again, with Johnson skying over a Chatard defender for a 31-yard touchdown. Matthew Glenesk, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Sep. 2023 For spacecraft, landing safely has entailed everything from inflatable airbag systems to sky cranes to retro-thrusters. Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2019 Plus, four-man Jeff Green is a 17-year veteran can still can sky over defenders for dunks and knock down stop-up 3s. Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2023 These figures are only going to sky rocket in short order, too, now that it’s become almost impossible to buy a TV of 40 inches or bigger that doesn’t boast a native 4K resolution. John Archer, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, cloud, sky, from Old Norse skȳ cloud; akin to Old English scēo cloud

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1802, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sky was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sky

Cite this Entry

“Sky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sky. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sky

noun
ˈskī
plural skies
1
: the upper atmosphere : the vast arch or dome that seems to spread over the earth
2
3
: weather entry 1, climate
the forecast is for sunny skies tomorrow

More from Merriam-Webster on sky

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