skim

1 of 3

verb

ˈskim 

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

skim

2 of 3

noun

1

: a thin layer, coating, or film

2

: the act of skimming

3

: something skimmed

specifically : skim milk

skim

3 of 3

adjective

1

: having the cream removed by skimming

2

: made of skim milk

skim cheese

Synonyms

Verb

• flip
• leaf
• riffle
• thumb

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Two men are accused of skimming debit card information from ATM locations throughout the Florida Panhandle to steal more than $11,000 from victims. —Warren Kulo | [e-mail], al, 25 Apr. 2023

To serve, reheat in oven at 325 degrees or on stovetop, skimming and discarding fat. —Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Apr. 2023

So, clients either skim them or ignore them altogether. —Avi Dan, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023

Keep scrolling to skim this list for the best Lululemon alternatives that feel just like the real thing — and tbh, some feel even better. —Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, 21 Mar. 2023

With the issue simmering in 2018, the FDA stepped in to extract some truths and skim the fat. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 23 Feb. 2023

The top of the look had a flowing effect, almost skimming the ground as Charlene walked, and was embellished with delicate, pale embroidery. —Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 6 May 2023

Northwest winds are forecast to skim the waters off the coast of the Peninsula, likely spilling cool breezes to the shoreline, bays and delta by Saturday evening, before engulfing the region with chilly, misty air by Sunday. —Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Apr. 2023

Chef Andrew Eppley was drawn to that tendency when skimming through Lewis’s work to find a dish for his menu at Vintage Restaurant at The Inn at Willow Grove in Orange — the site of that evening’s dinner. —Marvin Joseph, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2023

Noun

Milk options will include oat, almond, soy, skim and whole, and a handful of beverage flavorings will be available, including vanilla and hazelnut. —Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2021

Skiers and snowboarders don their brightest, most colorful garb and participate in festive—and, at times, ridiculous—spring traditions like pond skims, which involve skiing as fast as possible over a manmade pool of water dug into the snow. —Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Mar. 2023

Bring liquid to a gentle boil and skim froth as needed. —Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Apr. 2023

Ice will be thinner where there is an active beaver run; sometimes there will just be a skim of ice over the top. —Joseph Biebert, Outdoor Life, 3 Apr. 2023

Make a regular cup of coffee and add a little extra milk — regular or skim — and a tablespoon of powdered milk. —Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2020

Marcus is there now with a skim net. —Hazlitt, 29 Mar. 2023

Customers can request for their drinks to have regular, skim, oat or almond milk. —Detroit Free Press, 8 Jan. 2023

No skim; sub for soy or almond milk, preferably. —Alyssa Jung, Good Housekeeping, 6 Dec. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing skim

• skim milk
• skim off

• skim milk
• skim off

Kids Definition

skim

1 of 3 verb

ˈskim 

skimmed; skimming

1

a

: to clear a liquid of scum or floating substance : remove (as film or scum) from the surface of a liquid

b

: to remove cream from by skimming

2

: to glance through (as a book) for the chief ideas or the plot

3

: to throw so as to bounce along the surface of water

4

: to pass swiftly or lightly over : glide or skip along, above, or near a surface

skim

2 of 3 noun

1

: a thin layer, coating, or film

2

: the act of skimming

3

: something skimmed

especially : skim milk

skim

3 of 3 adjective

: having the cream removed by skimming