skive
1 of 2verb (1)
ˈskīv 
skives; skived; skiving
transitive + intransitive
British, informal
: to avoid work or school by staying away or by leaving without permission
… 71 per cent said rewards for good ideas and punctuality would make them work harder and not skive … 
South Wales Evening Post
South Wales Evening PostTam is 15 and he's skiving school. Julie Mccaffrey
—often used with off Julie Mccaffrey I once worked in a hospital garden where my workmate skived off every day with "backache" and disappeared to work on his car at home. Louis De Bernières
Louis De Bernièresskive
2 of 2verb (2)
skived; skiving
transitive verb
: to cut off (a material, such as leather or rubber) in thin layers or pieces : pare
Example Sentences
Verb (1) He works for his mother and feels he can skive off whenever he feels like it. She skived off school twice last month.
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
probably borrowed from French esquiver "to dodge, sidestep, evade," in part borrowed from Spanish esquivar, derivative of esquivo "unsociable, shy" (earlier also "sinister, evil"), perhaps borrowed from Gothic *skiuh-, going back to Germanic *skeuh-a-; in part borrowed from Italian schivare "to avoid, shun," borrowed from Old French eschuir, eschiver — more at shy entry 1, eschew
Verb (2)
perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skīfa to slice
First Known Use
Verb (1)
1895, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
circa 1825, in the meaning defined above
skives
verb
as in cuts back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cuts back
- crops
- prunes
- docks
- clips
- polls
- snips
- shears
- shaves
- bobs
- whittles
- pares
- manicures
- nips
- trims
- cuts
- mows
- lops (off)
- stumps
- pinches
- shortens
- curtails
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- extends
- lengthens
- elongates
- steerers
- steerhide
- steering
- steering arm
- steering bridge
- steering clear of
- steering column
- steering committee
- steering committees
- steering gear
- steering group
- steering head
- steering knuckle
- steering line
- steering lock
- steering oar
- steering wheel
- steerings
- steerless
- steerlings
- steers
- steers clear of
- steershead
- steersman
- steersmanship