skim

verb \ ˈskim \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of skim

skimmed; skimming

transitive verb

1 a : 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

6 a : 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

intransitive verb

1 a : 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

See skim defined for English-language learners

See skim defined for kids

Examples of skim in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of skim from the Web

As teammates duck under the volleyball net to get to the other side of the court, Kwan simply walks under, the net barely skimming the top of his head.

— richard obert, azcentral, "Arizona high school basketball, volleyball player Brandon Kwan, who stands 4-foot-9, sees no obstacles," 19 Apr. 2018
Devon quickly skimmed through his phone and finally placed a call and put the call on speaker phone.

— sean lester durham, The Root, "We Head South," 8 Apr. 2018
After a bogey on the previous hole, in which one of his shots skimmed the gallery, Woods now found himself five strokes behind then-leader Marc Leishman.

— sean gregory, Time, "Tiger Woods Fell Short of a Miraculous Masters Comeback. But He Gave Himself a Chance," 5 Apr. 2018
Watch until any foam sinks to the bottom of the pan, then skim off the solids until a golden-hued liquid remains.

— aliza abarbanel, Bon Appetit, "What Is Ghee, the Clarified Butter We Could Eat by the Spoon?," 5 Apr. 2018
The boot, from the 31, barely skimmed over the crossbar.

— bud lea, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Jan. 14, 1968: Packers rout Raiders to repeat as Super Bowl champions," 18 Jan. 2018
Alexandre Kawamura was caught on video installing and removing skimming devices on drive-up ATMs at Eastern Bank branches in Saugus, Stoneham, and Medford between Feb. 24 and March 16, Lelling’s office said.

— BostonGlobe.com, "blotter," 2 Apr. 2018
Purús Road The new road would skim the country’s eastern border with Brazil, running through the regions of Ucayali and Madre de Dios.

— National Geographic, "Isolated Tribes and Forests Threatened by New Amazon Road," 23 Mar. 2018
Add pork and cook, skimming off foam from surface, 5 minutes (this blanching step gets rid of any impurities on the pork, making it more tender; don't skip this step!).

— Bon Appetit, "Red-Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)," 19 Mar. 2018

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of skim

Middle English skymmen, skemen, probably from Anglo-French escumer, from escume foam, scum, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch schum scum — more at scum

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

skim Synonyms

skim

noun

Definition of skim

1 : a thin layer, coating, or film

2 : the act of skimming

3 : something skimmed; specifically : skim milk

Recent Examples of skim from the Web

Hip-hop has a bad case of the blues: that much is clear from a quick turn of the FM dial, or skim of Spotify’s RapCaviar playlist.

— john kennedy, Billboard, "How Logic's '1-800-273-8255' Succeeded Within Hip-Hop's Moment of Gloom," 15 Sep. 2017
When all the butter is melted, skim and discard the foam, and use a ladle to transfer the butter fat—the very yellow liquid—to a clean container.

— daina falk, SI.com, "Need a Perfect Gameday Meal this Fall? LeBron and More Athletes Have Some Recipes for You," 8 Sep. 2017
The airport is famous around the world because its runway ends very close to a beach, where tourists can stand and watch landing aircraft skim low overhead.

— Bloomberg.com, "The Latest: France Calls for Fight Against Global Warming," 7 Sep. 2017
The product's makers start with skim milk and add milk protein isolate (to bump up the protein), fiber, erythritol, and monk fruit extract—another natural, no-calorie sweetener that has become popular alongside stevia.

— Health.com, "Is Ice Cream Healthy? A Nutritionist’s Take on Halo Top and Other ‘Healthier’ Brands," 24 Aug. 2017
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese and 2 more tablespoons parmesan.

— atlanta life, ajc, "7 Day Menu Planner," 18 Aug. 2017
A quick skim through vintage copies of Life magazine and Vogue will tell you a lot about the trends and big moments of past decades, which is why vintage issues are selling for a lot of money on eBay right now, according to Fashionista.

— jessica mattern, Country Living, "Time to Cash In, Hoarders: Your Old Magazines Are Actually Worth a Lot on eBay," 11 Aug. 2017
A 2016 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that milk—full-fat, but especially skim—was more hydrating than water, sports drinks, coffee, tea and several other common beverages.

— markham heid, Time, "You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Rehydrate—Besides Drinking Water?," 26 July 2017
At The Goring, soy, skim, and almond are all available.

— Vogue, "How to Drink Tea Like a Royal: Dos and Don’ts From the Queen’s Favorite Hotel," 23 July 2017