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\ ˈskim 
\
\skimmed; skimming
Definition of skim
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a : to clear (a liquid) of scum or floating substance
skim boiling syrup
b : to remove (a film, a layer of scum, etc.) from the surface of a liquid
c : to remove cream from by skimming
d : to remove the best or most easily obtainable contents from
2 : to read, study, or examine superficially and rapidly especially : to glance through (something, such as a book) for the chief ideas or the plot
3 : to throw in a gliding path especially : to throw so as to ricochet along the surface of water
4 : to cover with or as if with a film, scum, or coat
5 : to pass swiftly or lightly over
6a : to remove or conceal (money, such as a portion of casino profits) to avoid payment of taxes
b : embezzle skimming money from employee pension plans
1a : to pass lightly or hastily : glide or skip along, above, or near a surface
b : to give a cursory glance, consideration, or reading
2 : to become coated with a thin layer of film or scum
3 : to put on a finishing coat of plaster
4 : to embezzle money
skim
nounDefinition of skim (Entry 2 of 3)
skim
adjectiveDefinition of skim (Entry 3 of 3)
1 : having the cream removed by skimming
2 : made of skim milk
skim cheese
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Examples of skim in a Sentence
Verb
He skimmed the leaves from the pool.
The cream is skimmed from the milk.
The milk is skimmed before it is bottled.
She only skimmed the reading assignment.
She only skimmed through the reading assignment.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Separately, he was sentenced to prison in the 1980s for conspiring to bribe a U.S. senator and his role in a scheme to skim $2 million from a casino in Las Vegas, the Tribune added.
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Fox News, "Joey 'the Clown' Lombardo, infamous Chicago mobster, dead at 90, reports say," 21 Oct. 2019 The new offerings have been a factor in skimming some business, not only in Louisville, Tony Rodio, Caesars' chief executive, said in a brief interview, but it's not diminished the company's confidence in this marketplace.
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Grace Schneider, The Courier-Journal, "Caesars debuts new $90 million land-based casino in Southern Indiana," 12 Dec. 2019 Sometimes its nice to take a digital detox from skimming your Instagram feed of others people's travels and instead bury yourself into a good book.
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Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian, "The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2019," 21 Nov. 2019 Degrease the pan drippings by skimming away any excess fat from the surface with a paper towel.
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ExpressNews.com, "Recipe: Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy," 19 Nov. 2019 One worker tends the boiler and stuffs plastic into the fire while others steam the soybeans and skim off the pulp.
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Richard C. Paddock, New York Times, "To Make This Tofu, Start by Burning Toxic Plastic," 14 Nov. 2019 Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, skimming the foam but not the oil.
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SFChronicle.com, "MAINS: Delfina’s Spaghetti Pomodoro," 14 Nov. 2019 One of his first trials will be that of the former IOR president, Angelo Caloia, who is accused of skimming tens of millions of euros from property deals.
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The Economist, "Raids and arrests cast doubt on the Holy See’s clean-up," 10 Oct. 2019 Using a ladle, skim off the scum from the top of the brodo and discard.
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CBS News, "Recipes from pasta master Evan Funke," 28 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Had to be whole milk, of course; none of that suck-sauce skim.
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James Lileks, National Review, "Okay Stupid," 19 Dec. 2019 Venus will rise high each day as the two planets skim by one another.
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Joseph Neese, House Beautiful, "Venus and Saturn Are Going to "Kiss" in the Night Sky This Week," 7 Dec. 2019 Sample menus replaced hot dogs with whole wheat spaghetti, pizza sticks with chef salads, and whole milk with skim.
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Elaine S. Povich, chicagotribune.com, "Students, bored by cafeteria fare, love food delivery services; schools don’t.," 1 Aug. 2019 Sample menus replaced hot dogs with whole wheat spaghetti, pizza sticks with chef salads, and whole milk with skim.
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Elaine S. Povich, chicagotribune.com, "Students, bored by cafeteria fare, love food delivery services; schools don’t.," 1 Aug. 2019 Though some dietitians continue to recommend low-fat or part-skim options, recent research suggests that this, too, might be a more complex issue.
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Jenna Birch, Washington Post, "From feta to American slices, a ranking of cheeses by healthfulness," 2 Sep. 2019 Remove from heat, skim at once, and pour into hot, sterilized jars.
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oregonlive.com, "Need to know if a fruit is safe to eat? Ask an expert," 23 Aug. 2019 Sample menus replaced hot dogs with whole wheat spaghetti, pizza sticks with chef salads, and whole milk with skim.
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Elaine S. Povich, baltimoresun.com, "Students, bored by cafeteria fare, love food delivery services; schools don’t.," 13 Aug. 2019 For cookie lovers who prefer to dunk, there also will be a milk bar serving oat, whole, soy, skim, chocolate and cereal milks.
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Phillip Valys, sun-sentinel.com, "Batch, the Cookie Company bringing gourmet cookies and milk bar to Flagler Village in Fort Lauderdale," 5 Aug. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'skim.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for skim
skim
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of skim
: to remove a layer of something from the surface of a liquid
: to look over or read (something) quickly especially to find the main ideas
British : to throw (a flat stone) along the surface of water so that it bounces
See the full definition for skim in the English Language Learners Dictionary
skim
verb\ ˈskim \
\skimmed; skimming
Kids Definition of skim
1 : to clean a liquid of scum or floating substance : remove (as cream or film) from the top part of a liquid
2 : to read or examine quickly and not thoroughly
I skimmed the newspaper.
3 : to skip (a stone) along the surface of water
4 : to pass swiftly or lightly over
He brushed the treetops / And skimmed the grass …— Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends
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Comments on skim
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Time Traveler for skim
The first known use of skim was in the 14th century
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