skittle

noun

skit·​tle ˈski-tᵊl 

1

skittles plural in form but singular in construction : English ninepins played with a wooden disk or ball

2

: one of the pins used in skittles

Examples of skittle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Keep an orange manicure interesting with a blend of different shades or orange in a skittle manicure. — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 17 July 2026

Plus, with their diet of goat skittles, horse turds, and their favorite treat chicken poop, their gas is industrial strength toxic waste. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2026

Even Sinner’s groundstroke attacks rarely knocked over the skittles in Alcaraz’s playground. — Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

The roots of the term go back to a venerable European lawn game known as skittles. — Ben Zimmer, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2018

Word History

Etymology

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skutill harpoon, bolt, Danish skyttel shuttle — more at shuttle

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for skittle

• acquittal
• belittle
• committal
• hospital
• popliteal
• submittal
• transmittal
• brittle
• kittel
• kittle
• little
• spital