peels; peeled; peeling
1
: to remove the skin from (a fruit, vegetable, etc.)
peel an apple
peel the cucumbers
2
always followed by an adverb or preposition
: to remove (a covering, shell, etc.) from something
They peeled back the sheet to display the new sculpture.
—often + fromAn animal had peeled the bark from the tree.
We had to peel the wallpaper from the wall.
—often + off(informal) Guests peeled off [=took off] their wet coats by the door.
They peeled the old wallpaper off.
3
a
: to come off in pieces
The paint is peeling (off).
She got sunburned and the skin on her back is peeling (off).
b
: to lose an outer layer of skin, bark, etc.
She got sunburned and her back is peeling.
Cite this Entry
“Peel.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/peel. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.
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