peeled; peeling; peels
Definition of peel
(Entry 1 of 4)
1
: to strip off an outer layer of
peel an orange
2
: to remove by stripping
peel the label off the can
1a
: to come off in sheets or scales
The paint is peeling.
b
: to lose an outer layer (as of skin)
His face is peeling.
2
: to take off one's clothes
it got hotter … you had to peel to get relief— L. M. Uris
3
: to break away from a group or formation
—often used with off Like corals, the branches of sponges can peel off and reestablish themselves as new colonies. Natural History
peel
noun (1)Definition of peel (Entry 2 of 4)
1
: the skin or rind of a fruit or vegetable
banana/lemon/potato peels
2
: a thin layer of organic material that is embedded in a film of collodion and stripped from the surface of an object (such as a plant fossil) for microscopic study
3
: chemical peel
peel
noun (2)Definition of peel (Entry 3 of 4)
: a usually long-handled spade-shaped instrument that is used chiefly by bakers for getting something (such as bread or pies) into or out of the oven
peel
noun (3)Definition of peel (Entry 4 of 4)
: a medieval small massive fortified tower along the Scottish-English border
— called also peel tower
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for peel
The first known use of peel was in the 13th century
See more words from the same century