释义 |
Definition of skin in English: skinnounPlural skins skɪnskɪn 1The thin layer of tissue forming the natural outer covering of the body of a person or animal. I use body lotion to keep my skin supple Example sentencesExamples - The woman turns around, her dark brown skin glowing with the warmth of her smile.
- Sarah felt the warmth in her cheeks and the soft carpet caressing the sensitive skin between her bare toes.
- A tuberculin skin test result is positive in less than 50 percent of patients.
- Long thin scars and old bite marks were scattered over the dark leathery skin of the demons' bodies.
- Robert tried to fight the creature with his gun, but the bullets couldn't penetrate its thick skin.
- She paused, looking up so Yuko was looking at the creamy pale skin of her throat.
- Typical teen problems like zits had not touched his flawless pale skin.
- "In the past lasers couldn't safely penetrate darker pigmented skin, " Dr Weiss said.
- His fair skin was burned on his cheeks because they were very rosy.
- He leaned in towards her, caressing her exposed creamy skin with uncharacteristic gentleness.
- An assortment of bruises in varying shade of purple and blue speckled my usually smooth, olive colored skin.
- His lightly muscled tanned bare skin glistened in the sun and he felt very much like an article on display.
- The light never touched his soft, tan skin.
- Her exposed skin tingled against the cold, and she was so fervently trembling she was certain she would faint.
- Every time his hands touched the bare skin of her neck, it sent shivers throughout her whole body.
- If moisturizer doesn't cure your itchy dry skin, schedule an appointment with your doctor.
- In simple terms, these products won't block pores or irritate sensitive skin.
- Every inch of exposed skin was tanned from the sun, but not to an extreme.
- Her smooth ivory skin glistened with passion induced perspiration.
- His caramel colored skin glowed when he was happy.
Synonyms epidermis, dermis technical cuticle, cutis, corium, derma, derm, integument, tegument complexion, colouring, skin colour, skin tone, pigmentation - 1.1 The skin of a dead animal with or without the fur, used as material for clothing or other items.
mass noun is this real crocodile skin? Example sentencesExamples - But does this change of heart over furry fashions mean that real fur and skins are here to stay?
- Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean.
- The ambitious divorcee noted how he made the skins of these dead animals so soft and supple.
- When Galster happened upon a stall with three adult clouded leopard skins on display, he knew he was on to something.
- It had fresco brick wall sides peaking upward as if inside a tent, there were tanned pelts of animal skins as tapestries on the wall.
- Equally important this season are textures, so there are generous lashings of exotic skins, suedes, leathers and horsehair.
- Handbags and clothing are crafted from animal skins.
- The court martial comes quickly and my newly sewed on stripes are ripped from my sleeve like the skin of a dead catfish.
- In many places in India the traditional Coracle is made by blowing up the skin of a dead buffalo, stitching it together and sitting on it like using a large float.
- The Sun Dance ceremony practised by Plains Indians required the skins of dead animals in order to glorify the spirit of the wolf.
- In Masume he sold chamois skins to tanneries and there began his interest in leather.
- Tanning, the process that converts raw hides or skins into leather, utilizes hazardous substances such as chromium and phenol.
- At first Pryce thought they were wearing furs or skins of a striped animal, but then determined that their bodies were painted.
- It is no coincidence that the process of turning animal skins into leather is called tanning.
- They attempt to kill the bigger crocodiles for their skins, but this is a dangerous profession; it's difficult to bag a full grown male.
- He doffed his cap, also made from the skin of a dead animal - I later learned it was a raccoon.
- The Inuit made all their clothing from various animal skins and hides.
- Millions of us manage to make a living every day without wearing the skins of dead minks.
- The wearing of skins as normal clothing was unknown for both the Saxons and the Vikings.
- Leopard skins, neo-traditionalist insignia, made frequent appearances at the installation of chiefs.
Synonyms hide, pelt, fleece Australian greenhide technical crop, kip archaic fell - 1.2 A container made from the skin of an animal such as a goat, used for holding liquids.
Example sentencesExamples - A deep, clear lake centered the oasis, and the first thing both riders did when they arrived was fill their skins full of the life-giving water.
- The company watered the horses and filled the water skins on the wagon with water, and everything was tied down and given a last check.
- By then, help had arrived in the form of an annoyed looking healer, Julan and Wethin trailing him and holding water skins awkwardly.
- He had finished washing his knife and had started filling up their water skins for the night.
- Three days passed, and the water skins were quite empty, the meager provisions long finished.
- The water skin filled, quickly, and out of the top a stream of water burst out.
- At about noon we found another stream and refilled our water skins.
- She then filled the skins with it and hurried back to the campsite.
- The three were given water skins and enough food for a week.
- Amarice refilled the water skins while a few others went off exploring.
- It contained food for three lunches as well as some small water skins.
- He shakes his wine skin and hops off of the branch in which he was sitting and walks to a small stream and fills his skin.
- The food supplies are gone and their water skins are empty.
- After Larken had refilled their water skins in the nearby creek, she began to build a fire.
- She found the vial, and poured it into one of the almost-empty water skins.
- He instead took the job of filling their water skins.
- Lin appeared with the skins used for canteens, two filled with water and two with ale.
- They reached the food store, and Lydia immediately grabbed a few skins of water.
2The peel or outer layer of certain fruits or vegetables. potatoes roasted in their skins Example sentencesExamples - The skins and zest were peeled and the clementines were sectioned.
- However, wine yeast occurs in honey and the skins of sugar-rich fruits, and fermentation would have set in quickly in the hot climate.
- The fruit is shaped like but smaller than a pear, and has a shiny brown scaly skin.
- The skins provide red wine with its colour and contain the highest concentration of polyphenols, potent antioxidants.
- I bit into the peach and the fragile skin broke, filling my mouth with juice and peach meats.
- Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon, and peel off the skins while still warm.
- The fruit is eaten as a vegetable, the inner skin is ground into meal, and oil is extracted from the seeds.
- If you dried out banana skins, and smoked them, you would hallucinate immediately.
- Simply peel away the outer skin of the kiwi and place in a hard-cooked egg slicer.
- Pull out the stems and peel the skins off the peppers.
- Peel the skin from the roast pepper halves and cut the stem off the aubergine halves.
- The dried fruit skins are ground and provide a cheap alternative to coffee.
- Wheat bran and the skins of fruits and vegetables are sources of insoluble fiber.
- Fruit skins were prepared fresh without eliminating physiological stress reactions prior to testing.
- Then, using a swivel vegetable peeler, peel off the skin.
- Kitchen garbage, like the parts of vegetables that are not eaten and discarded fruit skins, may be utilized as compost.
- Making their way through the fruit skins and the heaps of garbage they start out towards the bus stand.
- The skin itself contains more tannin and, in black grapes, a colouring pigment.
- The skins were peeled from frozen berries to avoid mixing with pulp.
- The next day I began taking hardcore drugs - dried banana skins.
Synonyms peel, rind, outside technical integument - 2.1 The thin outer covering of a sausage.
if you are using link-sausages, prick the skins well with a fork Example sentencesExamples - It is a pudding in the old sense of something enclosed in a sausage skin.
- In developing countries gut skins dominate the sausage market.
- Squeeze the sausage meat out of the sausages and discard the skins.
- After less than a minute, the mixture was ready for the sausage machine, where skins (sheep and pig casing) are filled and the links twisted by hand.
- Then, I imagine, it is pumped into sausage skins and served in a bun smothered in ketchup and mustard.
- Peel the skins from the sausages - this is easiest if you slit the skin with the point of a knife then pull off the skins.
- In another casserole, put the luganica sausage, free of skin and reduced to crumbs, and a little oil and fry until it starts to brown.
- Nicknamed bangers because of their tendency to explode if the skins are not pierced before frying, sausages have come a long way.
- 2.2 A thin layer forming on the surface of certain hot liquids, such as milk, as they cool.
Victoria was skimming the skin off the saucepan of milk Example sentencesExamples - It is chilly enough that where the water is calm a skin of ice has formed.
- Air must be excluded from the can by a tight-fitting lid, or a skin can form in the can.
- To make matters worse, spinach was often on the menu and there was a skin on the milk they served for breakfast.
Synonyms film, coating, coat, layer, overlay sheet membrane technical pellicle - 2.3informal A cigarette paper.
I passed her a plastic bag with skins and hash inside - 2.4 The outermost layer of a structure such as a building or aircraft.
Example sentencesExamples - Along the fuselage belly, the skin exhibited extreme bulging typical of corrosion damage.
- Lux Studios preserved its exterior skin and opted for all new interiors.
- Originally, the aluminum skin of the building was not supposed to have color accents, says Stern.
- It took four months to model the skin, a curvilinear structure and the auditorium interior and ceiling.
- Oddly enough, he could see sparks fly as the bullets impacted the skin of the aircraft.
- This suggests that the explosive was placed directly on the aircraft's skin.
- Airlines including El Al are developing guns which will disable hijackers but not pierce the skin of an aircraft.
- The wing has been detached from the fuselage to facilitate repairs to portions of the wing skin.
- It takes only a few hours to apply the skin to the structures and to close the village off from the elements.
- With the wing structure complete, the wings were then covered with aircraft grade mahogany skin.
- The longerons were good and did not need replacement but we did replace some skins on the lower fuselage.
- If your home has cavity walls (two separate skins of brick), filling the gap with insulating foam halves the energy loss.
- It was going up to the 27th floor, so they had to peel the skin off of the building and peel the windows out.
- The building skin has been constructed, conceptually, from a melding of the two.
- Check for wrinkles in the fuselage skin where the main gear leg goes into the fuselage.
- The stair and theatre foyers are complex folded volumes that reiterate the language of the building skin.
- Herzog & de Meuron's abiding interest in building skins is aggressively advanced at the Walker.
- The men swung axes and hammers into the aluminum skin on the tapering wings and fuselages.
- The hole in the floor was covered with a sliding panel flush with the aircraft's skin.
- Obviously, there's some damage to the exterior skin; a couple of panels that have come off.
Synonyms casing, cover, covering, exterior, pod - 2.5usually skins A strip of sealskin or other material attached to the underside of a ski to prevent a skier slipping backwards during climbing.
Example sentencesExamples - The route got steeper and we put climbing skins (strips of special fur) on our ski bottoms.
- If you're a skier, slap a pair of climbing skins on your skis and you've got an impressively efficient way to get uphill.
- I understand that the skins were probably 50 years old.
- What's more, split-board skins are considerably wider, and therefore have more traction, than a skier's skins.
- Ascending with climbing skins is easier than kicking steps, and skis let you make a fast exit when bad weather rolls in.
- We stripped off the synthetic climbing skins from our skis.
- We huddle together to fit skins to our skis, fingers instantly numbed to frozen sausages.
- Snap on your ski crampons if the going gets icy or your skins are slipping.
- My climbing skins grip slushy snow for a moment, then slip back with an exhausting lurch.
- This package includes learning the art of climbing with skins, off-piste skiing and mountain navigation with a qualified instructor.
- Climbing skins stick to the bottom of your skis or snowboard and let you motor uphill.
- I put the skins on one more time in the timber to gain a little more vertical on the last section into Schofeild Park.
- Attach climbing skins to your skis and up you go.
3Computing A customized graphic user interface for an application or operating system. Example sentencesExamples - Not only can you download skins, but GQradio comes with a built-in skin editor so you can unleash your creative spirit.
- The white console is customisable too, with the ability to swap everything from the console's faceplate to the skins on the software interface.
- They swapped modding techniques and hundreds of custom skins over the website message board.
- Do you have any plans to offer support for the mod community that likes to create original skins and custom levels?
- For example, will it be possible to use custom skins or will you release tools to allow users to build custom levels?
4British informal A skinhead. we were surrounded by skins with tattoos and braces Example sentencesExamples - Thanks for the interview, and thanks to all the psychos, punks and skins who've supported us in the UK.
- Mostly it's a mixture of punks and skins but we have also played on specific skinhead-gigs.
- From my experiences, punks & skins generally get along OK.
- They were surrounded by a devoted crowd of aging skins, punks & Goths worshipping at the church of Sioux.
- As for punks 'n' skins in Derby, there's hardly any.
5usually skinsinformal (especially in jazz) a drum or drum head. Example sentencesExamples - With Hawkins' long, blond hair covering his goatee and Grohl wailing on the skins, it almost felt like 1993.
- A dull aching head-ache drummed through her head like finger pads on a drum skin.
- Drummer Ste Barrow is frantically searching for a replacement having just split the skin on his bass drum.
- Diaz deploys at least five congas to create his dense patter, their skins tuned for maximum musicality.
- And last time I checked, Mr. Carlos did not pound skins for Metallica.
- The guy hits the skins as if he's trying to nail them to the floor.
- There's a whole list of guests on Love & Respect with Robert Palmer showing up and ex-Band drummer Levon Helm hitting the skins.
- Steve Albini would be so proud of the heavy metallic rumblings produced by Gar Wood's bass guitar, and Jason Kourkounis simply shreds his skins.
- Volunteer your band for the show, and be sure to tear up the skins with a drum solo.
- These boys don't need any chemical assistance to do some very nice things to your brain; just a few strings, pedals, sticks and, er, skins.
- Jordan, in particular, was a sight to behold as he unleashed his relentless fury on the skins.
- Carved from tweneboa, a Ghanaian cedar tree, the drums have fragile skins and tuning pegs.
- While this chaos all unfolded up front, drummer Damon Richardson beat the skins with reckless abandon.
- That is, the bass pounds a little heavier, the skins hit a little cleaner, and the guitars are a bit more direct, and all in the most unobtrusive way possible.
- He created original sounds from his cymbals and skins using sticks, brushes, and even his hands.
- At one point, the drummer switched instruments with the lead Live Girl - who absolutely sucked on the skins.
- Weiss pulverizes the skins, and the guitars of Brownstein and Tucker play off of one another with furious intensity.
6informal as modifier Relating to or denoting pornographic literature or films. Example sentencesExamples - This is undoubtedly one of the best, most bedazzling films of his skin show career.
7US mass noun A card game in which each player has one card which they bet will not be the first to be matched by a card dealt from the pack. 8Australian A unit into which an Aboriginal people is divided, typically on the basis of descent, each skin being associated with a totemic bird, animal, or insect. Example sentencesExamples - There were many among the white settlers who had high respect for the Aboriginal skin system.
- In combination with the kinship avoidance structure, there is the 'skin' system.
- Marriage or sexual relationships with any member of the other seven 'skins' are regarded as improper.
- The logo was designed by a now deceased Gunwinggu man of the gamarrang subsection or 'skin' from the Born clan.
- The injury that I might do to a native, is a hurt done to the group or skin, as they call it, of which he is a member.
verbskinned, skins, skinning skɪnskɪn [with object]1Remove the skin from (an animal or a fruit or vegetable) scald and skin the tomatoes she skinned the pig and salted the carcass Example sentencesExamples - We even forgave him for skinning a monkey and wearing it as a coat.
- They can surf the waves, skin a rabbit and dazzle a television audience.
- Trudy sat squatted down, skinning a rabbit she'd caught.
- I quickly ran over and skinned the large beast that had caused these wounds on him.
- During his journey he had used the knives to skin rabbits caught by his dogs.
- And unless we want to be skinning some Realmshirian rabbit down the road, we do need more food.
- Cows are still skinned and dismembered alive, and pigs are still scalded to death, just like chickens are.
- He might have added that if you do try to skin a tiger one paw at a time, it will get very, very cross.
- He skinned the large creature and tossed the large pieces of skin and fur in a pile to the side.
- Remove from the oven, skin the tomatoes then place everything, including any juices, in the blender.
- Ellie sighed, said, ‘Okay, you're forgiven,’ and skinned the rabbit very carefully.
- Gutting and skinning the rabbits wouldn't take too long - Father had also taught me how to do that.
- They had a sofa bed, but it looked as if they'd skinned the dog from Blues' Clues to make it.
- Then, when he had finished, he got Zi to help him skin the deer and preserve the meat, in case they ever ran out of food.
- He is shown feeding the sheep and skinning a rabbit.
- The first thing I ever cooked was rabbit pie - she skinned the rabbit and I did the rest.
- After a brisk trot back to his make shift camp, Hawk began to skin the rabbits.
- She immediately began skinning the rabbits and cutting them into chunks of edible meat, omitting the organs.
- It is a malicious lie that the Dalits were found skinning a live cow.
- She laid the logs down, started a little fire, and began skinning the deer with her sword.
Synonyms peel, pare, hull technical decorticate - 1.1 Graze (a part of one's body)
he scrambled down from the tree with such haste that he skinned his knees Example sentencesExamples - It's like skinning your knee when you're a little kid.
- I, however, did seriously skin both my knees and so completely stuff myself it took about 2 hours to recover.
- Your red hair which you tied into a French braid that morning was still perfectly fine, your knee was skinned.
- I'm thinking about skinning my knee, getting rug burns or ‘Indian’ burns, things like that.
- August was not August unless it was coloured by the few incidents of skinned knees, cuts and bruises.
- The stairs were hard on my elbows and knees, and I skinned them all badly.
- When I was little and I had skinned my knees or elbows or something, I'd come home crying.
- I was lying on the ground, and I had skinned my knees and my elbows on the asphalt.
- Another thing is when I skin my knee or fall, they make a big deal about it.
- I had skinned my knee so I sat down and Jennifer said that you could see everything from here.
- It's right up there with having cavities drilled and skinning my knees!
- And you'll remember stuff like a tone of voice or your knee burning because you skinned it real bad.
- We hadn't been this close since I last skinned my knee when I was eleven.
- Miraculously, the victim was merely treated for skinned knees, while Simon was arrested and fined for violent conduct.
- One particular time she remembered was when Vicki had skinned her knee on the way over to her friend Wil's house.
- The fact I can jump into a half-pipe and never skin my knee or break a bone - the escapism is one huge appeal.
- I just star fished on the ground and skinned all my knees.
- One of Matt's friends had tripped and skinned his knee earlier that evening.
- If you fell and skinned your knee or caught a cold, it was because God had seen you do something wrong.
- She lives for the adrenaline rush of attending to ‘little angels’ who skinned their knees.
Synonyms graze, scrape, abrade, bark, cut, rub something raw, chafe technical excoriate
2informal Take money from or swindle (someone) I ain't no dummy, and I know when I'm being skinned Example sentencesExamples - Inevitably then, it can only financially top up local authorities by skinning you and I to an even deeper extent than it is already doing.
- The gimmick has generated so much publicity, Mercury is trying to devise an equivalent design - without skinning the author - for the planned 5,000 book run.
Synonyms swindle, defraud, cheat, fleece, exploit 3no object (of a wound) form new skin. the hole in his skull skinned over Example sentencesExamples - My guess is that the stain is too thickly applied and has skinned over.
- 3.1archaic with object Cover with skin.
the wound was skinned, but the strength of his thigh was not restored
4Soccer informal (of a player) take the ball past (a defender) with ease. Kanchelskis would have skinned him Example sentencesExamples - He skins him again and puts in another tempting cross, which is fumbled away for a corner.
- Taking Colgan's pass, he skinned two defenders for pace, shipped another tackle and popped over with the inside of his left boot.
- Cristiano Ronaldo works his magic to skin Yevseyen down the left wing and cross for Nuno Gomes.
- Part of the problem was traced back to one high-rolling casino player who managed to skin the firm for £3m.
- Ballack set him free with subtle chip over the top, and Klose skinned the out-rushing keeper before slotting it home with ease.
5skin upBritish informal no object Make a cannabis cigarette. we had a few beers and then we skinned up Example sentencesExamples - I'd skin up, only I seem to ‘ave run out of Rizlas myself.
- I then visualised myself sitting in a desert, skinning up two joints, one for me, and one for Bast.
- At the end of a hard days work I like nothing more than to skin up a joint and get high.
- Let's kick off with some suitably chilled warm-up music, while you pitch your virtual tent and skin up a virtual fat one.
- If she saw Rafe Moretti, she wouldn't've pinched his cheek, she would've bought a gram off him and skinned up right then and there.
- But Chris says his brother, Mark - who skins up every morning before work and updates his Web site with snow conditions - is the real maniac of the family.
Phrases (of a person or animal) be very thin. she was nothing but skin and bone Example sentencesExamples - I couldn't even tell what it was because it was skin and bone.
- She was only skin and bone and obviously very ill.
- She was the thinnest fox he had ever seen, practically skin and bone.
- I treated people with unrelenting diarrhea, emaciated to skin and bone, crippled with nerve pain, and lost in dementia.
- He was skin and bone, too weak to hold his head up.
- If I'd lost another ten I'd have been skin and bone.
- She was tiny at a weight of 4lb 11 oz and she was skin and bone then… now she's a great baby to play with and she's nine months old.
- She was just skin and bone when she was rescued from the knacker's yard.
- One day she saw this gardener - skin and bone - working very slowly and coughing all the time.
- Posh Spice isn't all that - she's all skin and bone and she's got horrible spots.
by the skin of one's teeth By a very narrow margin; only just. I only got away by the skin of my teeth Example sentencesExamples - At Pennypit, meanwhile, Berwick held on to third spot by the skin of their teeth with a one-point 26-25 win over Preston Lodge.
- In the earlier game the Eagles got home by the skin of their teeth.
- A Hampshire firefighter based at Redbridge Fire Station said: ‘They only got out by the skin of their teeth.’
- Well, I think they got out of this by the skin of their teeth from their point of view.
- On the other end of the spectrum are cases in which a conviction is sustained, but in some ways almost by the skin of their teeth.
- The Oxford University Pool Team has not lost to Cambridge since 1999, when the ‘rascal Tabs’ managed to grind out a 46-44 victory by the skin of their teeth.
- As the ball was kicked out referee Pet Moran blew the full time whistle with Portlaoise holding out by the skin of their teeth.
- ‘You have escaped prison by the skin of your teeth,’ the judge told him.
- Shepherd ‘B’ won by the skin of their teeth to go second.
- You have escaped from going to prison by the skin of your teeth.
Synonyms only just, just, narrowly, by a hair's breadth, by a very small margin, by the narrowest of margins, barely, by a nose
1informal Annoy or irritate someone intensely. it was the sheer effrontery of them which got under my skin Example sentencesExamples - Ugh, someone here is getting under my skin, really starting to annoy me, and I can't put my figure on why/how exactly.
- She would never let them manage to anger her or get under her skin.
- This rich kid was getting under my skin, but the free ride out of town in a jiffy was what I was after.
- What's most annoying is that it seems to get under your skin - not irritating like a rash, more like an itch that needs to be scratched.
- What gets under our skin, aggravates, infuriates, frustrates and makes us hate is of the same seed that also begets love and divine revelation.
- Casey tries not to let such negativity bother him, but it gets under his skin nonetheless.
Synonyms irritate, annoy, gall, irk, get someone's back up, put someone's back up, pique, rankle with, nettle, needle, bother, vex, provoke, displease, upset, offend, affront, anger, exasperate, disgruntle, ruffle, get on someone's nerves, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise, raise someone's hackles, rub up the wrong way 2informal Fill someone's mind in a compelling and persistent way. he had managed to get under my skin—I couldn't wait to be with him Example sentencesExamples - I've never warmed to Bowie, which is the same as saying: Bowie never really chilled me, got under my skin, possessed me…
- Some songs get under your skin and refuse to move.
- Who were the other writers who got under your skin?
- Then I did a little play and quite liked that and it got under my skin.
- We didn't know what it was, but it got under your skin; it was a very hip, gospel, Latin sound.
- Albert's Sam is a study in understatement, slowly but surely getting under Izzy 's skin.
- His intensely intimate music gets under your skin rather than grabbing you by the lapels.
- It gets under your skin and opens up a space that is filled by sadness and silence.
- We wanted to make a movie that slowly got under your skin, that was about building, inescapable dread.
- In twice finding myself in the thick of efforts to save it from closure, the club has really got under my skin.
Synonyms obsess, intrigue, captivate, interest greatly, charm 3informal Reach or display a deep understanding of someone. movies that get under the skin of the British national character Example sentencesExamples - And yes, you guys did manage to get under my skin.
- I know it's a cliche but I thought the author really managed to get under Clara 's skin in a way which made us empathise with her.
- He changed his ways many years ago because a good, decent woman got under his skin and made him understand what love was all about.
- Then he comes in contact with a woman who gets under his skin.
informal Shake or slap hands together as a gesture or friendship or solidarity. the Orioles might be giving each other skin until midnight Example sentencesExamples - I gave him some skin, and his mother gave him a hug.
- 'Give me some skin on that one,' said Spencer, thrusting his palm toward Winston.
- Remember the time he went to give me skin and I shook his hand!
- He raised up his hand, palm side down. "Give me some skin, brother." I stuck out my hand and smiled.
informal Have a personal investment in an organization or undertaking, and therefore a vested interest in its success. Example sentencesExamples - "I never get involved in a company unless I have skin in the game," he said.
- It is for people who have skin in the game.
- Sure, he had skin in the game.
- Having skin in the game kept everyone motivated and honest, essential in an operation that trusted players to walk around with thousands of dollars in their pockets.
- You have sweat on your brow, but your partner has skin in the game.
- He said on "This Week" yesterday, everybody has got to have skin in the game.
- But all politics are local and it's very personal when you feel you have skin in the game.
- "You want them to have skin in the game and this is a good way to get that," he says.
- When you share bad news and try to reassure people, they're likely not to believe you unless they feel you have skin in the game.
- A consultant may have skin in the game if you buy from a certain vendor.
have a thick (or thin) skin Be insensitive (or oversensitive) to criticism or insults. the job called for a thick skin and an aggressive personality Example sentencesExamples - I have a thick skin, but I constantly ‘feel’ like I'm offending everyone.
- There's no point in having a thin skin in this game.
- I don't have a thick skin naturally, but I've had to at times.
- ‘I realise that I will not be on the Christmas card list in Badenoch and Strathspey this year but I have a thick skin,’ he said.
- I have a thick skin, but when your family members get affected by it, it's time to leave.
- Chairmen and chief executives need to have a thick skin and take justified criticism of their companies in the way it is intended.
- The Olympic association and other officials seem to have a thick skin.
- Let me begin by stating that I am a human being although I have a thick skin.
- Del Ponte dismissed the criticism: ‘He who does not have a thick skin should choose another field of work,’ she said.
- It's a good job I have a thick skin is all I can say, the abuse was substantial and relentless.
informal Used to indicate that one is not offended or adversely affected by something. ‘I've not much appetite, I'm afraid.’ ‘No skin off my nose.’ Example sentencesExamples - I mean, it's no skin off my nose if Greenwald and screenwriter Ernest Thompson (On Golden Pond) wanted to go with such a formalist framework.
- But, finally, a word for the guys at the Met office - if your forecast does happen to be part of a conspiracy, it's no skin off my nose.
- Look, it's no skin off my nose - he's not after me, so I couldn't care less.
- I probably shouldn't comment because it's no skin off my nose if you undergrads want to gut your services in order to get $30 more beer money a term.
- I assumed the position of ‘I'll go look at it, cos it's no skin off my nose’ and went along early evening.
- Half-joking, she notes ‘it's no skin off my nose’ if the film fails, as she's the support.
- When I say ‘it's no skin off my nose ‘, there is an immediate context that gives the expression more meaning.
Synonyms i don't care, i don't mind, i'm not bothered, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't matter to me, it's of no concern to me, it's of no importance to me
keep (or sleep in) a whole skin archaic Escape being wounded or injured. if he means to keep a whole skin on his bones, I recommend him not to come back in a hurry Example sentencesExamples - It is agreeable to keep a whole skin; but the skin still remains an organ sensitive to the atmosphere.
- But were concerned rather in keeping a whole skin by parlaying or by spilling cowardly tears to excite pity.
- For if he wanted to be safe, and considered it his first object to sleep in a whole skin, it had been his best way not to have stirred from home.
- There is defeat, even in the rest he wins, to the man who, that he may keep a whole skin, turns and runs from the battle.
make someone's skin crawl (or creep) Cause someone to experience an uncomfortable sensation of horror or disgust. Example sentencesExamples - A clerk innocently used a word to describe a section of books that made Cisneros 's skin crawl.
- His smile was silk - a malicious caress that made Joe 's skin crawl.
- The very idea of being around magic made Karl 's skin crawl.
- It wasn't about all those things Francis did that made Van Gundy 's skin crawl and the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
- She hadn't even said anything to this girl, but she could make Hannah 's skin crawl.
- Justin was, well, Justin, and the thought of him doing that with Rebecca was enough to make Michael 's skin crawl.
- This assistant had the stomach for torture, bloodshed, and all of the things that made Tyrell 's skin crawl.
- It was one of sadistic smugness that made Analise 's skin crawl.
- There was something about Lazar's matter-of-fact tone that made Carl 's skin crawl.
- The mere knowledge that I talked to you makes Greg 's skin crawl, and I'm not going to hurt him by meeting you.
rhyming slang One's sister. Example sentencesExamples - As it happens ‘twin sister’ fits well with ‘skin and blister’ doesn't it?
Ambrose skinned his teeth, but didn't laugh out loud Example sentencesExamples - I took the same seat that I was just in and skinned my teeth.
- Benoit's fish is lovely, but it's Leo's soup that skins our teeth.
there's more than one way to skin a cat proverb There's more than one way of achieving one's aim. Example sentencesExamples - However, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- There is more than one way to skin a cat, or protect your assets.
- Maybe those dummies in their corporate towers have finally gotten the message and realised that there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- You learn as you get older there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- Harry Briggs, City of York councillor for Haxby, said: ‘Maybe people in Haxby have got more brains, after all there's more than one way to skin a cat.’
- Or more prosaically, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- ‘It is an option open to the club but there are loads of ways to skin a cat,’ he said.
- I don't necessarily see the two interpretations as mutually exclusive, because we're in the melty melty realms of myth here where there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- There's innumerable ways to skin a metallic cat so why cling to an outdated formula?
In reality, as opposed to superficial appearances. he still believes that all women are goddesses under the skin Example sentencesExamples - We're in the tradition of journalists going out and trying to get under the skin of the country.
- This well-crafted documentary probes under the skin of taxidermy and finds much more than glass eyes and straw.
- Those more important things are easing under the skin of her characters and making sure she finds the right fit.
- Air vents in the bonnet have also gone, another clue that things are different under the skin.
- However, under the skin, there are more significant additions and upgrades.
- And suddenly I think the tattooed man has got it wrong, and that we're not all the same under the skin.
- There is something chilling in the will for violence latent under the skin of our society - and it is not an appetite which should be fed.
Origin Late Old English scinn, from Old Norse skinn; related to Dutch schinden 'flay, peel' and German schinden. Old Scandinavian gave us skin in the later Old English period—the word used until then was hide. The expression by the skin of your teeth arose from a misquotation from the biblical book of Job: ‘I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.’ The implication is ‘and nothing else’. See also beauty. The skinhead is associated with the Britain of the 1970s, but the first skinheads were American. In the 1950s recruits to the US Marines were known as skinheads because of the severe way their hair was cropped when they joined up. The colloquial word skint first found in the 1920s is a variant of colloquial skinned used in the same sense.
Rhymes agin, akin, begin, Berlin, bin, Boleyn, Bryn, chin, chin-chin, Corinne, din, fin, Finn, Flynn, gaijin, Glyn, grin, Gwyn, herein, Ho Chi Minh, in, inn, Jin, jinn, kin, Kweilin, linn, Lynn, mandolin, mandoline, Min, no-win, pin, Pinyin, quin, shin, sin, spin, therein, thin, Tientsin, tin, Tonkin, Turin, twin, underpin, Vietminh, violin, wherein, whin, whipper-in, win, within, Wynne, yin Definition of skin in US English: skinnounskɪnskin 1The thin layer of tissue forming the natural outer covering of the body of a person or animal. I use body lotion to keep my skin soft Example sentencesExamples - Sarah felt the warmth in her cheeks and the soft carpet caressing the sensitive skin between her bare toes.
- Every inch of exposed skin was tanned from the sun, but not to an extreme.
- In simple terms, these products won't block pores or irritate sensitive skin.
- Every time his hands touched the bare skin of her neck, it sent shivers throughout her whole body.
- Typical teen problems like zits had not touched his flawless pale skin.
- Her exposed skin tingled against the cold, and she was so fervently trembling she was certain she would faint.
- A tuberculin skin test result is positive in less than 50 percent of patients.
- His lightly muscled tanned bare skin glistened in the sun and he felt very much like an article on display.
- The light never touched his soft, tan skin.
- She paused, looking up so Yuko was looking at the creamy pale skin of her throat.
- "In the past lasers couldn't safely penetrate darker pigmented skin, " Dr Weiss said.
- The woman turns around, her dark brown skin glowing with the warmth of her smile.
- His caramel colored skin glowed when he was happy.
- His fair skin was burned on his cheeks because they were very rosy.
- An assortment of bruises in varying shade of purple and blue speckled my usually smooth, olive colored skin.
- Robert tried to fight the creature with his gun, but the bullets couldn't penetrate its thick skin.
- Her smooth ivory skin glistened with passion induced perspiration.
- Long thin scars and old bite marks were scattered over the dark leathery skin of the demons' bodies.
- He leaned in towards her, caressing her exposed creamy skin with uncharacteristic gentleness.
- If moisturizer doesn't cure your itchy dry skin, schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Synonyms epidermis, dermis complexion, colouring, skin colour, skin tone, pigmentation - 1.1 The skin of a dead animal with or without the fur, used as material for clothing or other items.
is this real crocodile skin? Example sentencesExamples - The Sun Dance ceremony practised by Plains Indians required the skins of dead animals in order to glorify the spirit of the wolf.
- It had fresco brick wall sides peaking upward as if inside a tent, there were tanned pelts of animal skins as tapestries on the wall.
- Leopard skins, neo-traditionalist insignia, made frequent appearances at the installation of chiefs.
- Handbags and clothing are crafted from animal skins.
- But does this change of heart over furry fashions mean that real fur and skins are here to stay?
- The wearing of skins as normal clothing was unknown for both the Saxons and the Vikings.
- When Galster happened upon a stall with three adult clouded leopard skins on display, he knew he was on to something.
- It is no coincidence that the process of turning animal skins into leather is called tanning.
- In many places in India the traditional Coracle is made by blowing up the skin of a dead buffalo, stitching it together and sitting on it like using a large float.
- At first Pryce thought they were wearing furs or skins of a striped animal, but then determined that their bodies were painted.
- The ambitious divorcee noted how he made the skins of these dead animals so soft and supple.
- Tanning, the process that converts raw hides or skins into leather, utilizes hazardous substances such as chromium and phenol.
- In Masume he sold chamois skins to tanneries and there began his interest in leather.
- The Inuit made all their clothing from various animal skins and hides.
- They attempt to kill the bigger crocodiles for their skins, but this is a dangerous profession; it's difficult to bag a full grown male.
- Millions of us manage to make a living every day without wearing the skins of dead minks.
- Equally important this season are textures, so there are generous lashings of exotic skins, suedes, leathers and horsehair.
- He doffed his cap, also made from the skin of a dead animal - I later learned it was a raccoon.
- The court martial comes quickly and my newly sewed on stripes are ripped from my sleeve like the skin of a dead catfish.
- Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean.
- 1.2 A container made from the skin of an animal such as a goat, used for holding liquids.
Example sentencesExamples - At about noon we found another stream and refilled our water skins.
- He had finished washing his knife and had started filling up their water skins for the night.
- Amarice refilled the water skins while a few others went off exploring.
- A deep, clear lake centered the oasis, and the first thing both riders did when they arrived was fill their skins full of the life-giving water.
- By then, help had arrived in the form of an annoyed looking healer, Julan and Wethin trailing him and holding water skins awkwardly.
- She then filled the skins with it and hurried back to the campsite.
- The water skin filled, quickly, and out of the top a stream of water burst out.
- The three were given water skins and enough food for a week.
- He shakes his wine skin and hops off of the branch in which he was sitting and walks to a small stream and fills his skin.
- The food supplies are gone and their water skins are empty.
- After Larken had refilled their water skins in the nearby creek, she began to build a fire.
- It contained food for three lunches as well as some small water skins.
- She found the vial, and poured it into one of the almost-empty water skins.
- The company watered the horses and filled the water skins on the wagon with water, and everything was tied down and given a last check.
- He instead took the job of filling their water skins.
- They reached the food store, and Lydia immediately grabbed a few skins of water.
- Lin appeared with the skins used for canteens, two filled with water and two with ale.
- Three days passed, and the water skins were quite empty, the meager provisions long finished.
2The peel or outer layer of certain fruits or vegetables. Example sentencesExamples - Fruit skins were prepared fresh without eliminating physiological stress reactions prior to testing.
- However, wine yeast occurs in honey and the skins of sugar-rich fruits, and fermentation would have set in quickly in the hot climate.
- Peel the skin from the roast pepper halves and cut the stem off the aubergine halves.
- The skins were peeled from frozen berries to avoid mixing with pulp.
- Making their way through the fruit skins and the heaps of garbage they start out towards the bus stand.
- The skin itself contains more tannin and, in black grapes, a colouring pigment.
- Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon, and peel off the skins while still warm.
- The fruit is eaten as a vegetable, the inner skin is ground into meal, and oil is extracted from the seeds.
- Then, using a swivel vegetable peeler, peel off the skin.
- Kitchen garbage, like the parts of vegetables that are not eaten and discarded fruit skins, may be utilized as compost.
- I bit into the peach and the fragile skin broke, filling my mouth with juice and peach meats.
- Wheat bran and the skins of fruits and vegetables are sources of insoluble fiber.
- If you dried out banana skins, and smoked them, you would hallucinate immediately.
- The next day I began taking hardcore drugs - dried banana skins.
- The fruit is shaped like but smaller than a pear, and has a shiny brown scaly skin.
- Pull out the stems and peel the skins off the peppers.
- Simply peel away the outer skin of the kiwi and place in a hard-cooked egg slicer.
- The skins and zest were peeled and the clementines were sectioned.
- The skins provide red wine with its colour and contain the highest concentration of polyphenols, potent antioxidants.
- The dried fruit skins are ground and provide a cheap alternative to coffee.
- 2.1 The thin outer covering of a sausage.
Example sentencesExamples - Peel the skins from the sausages - this is easiest if you slit the skin with the point of a knife then pull off the skins.
- In developing countries gut skins dominate the sausage market.
- Then, I imagine, it is pumped into sausage skins and served in a bun smothered in ketchup and mustard.
- Nicknamed bangers because of their tendency to explode if the skins are not pierced before frying, sausages have come a long way.
- It is a pudding in the old sense of something enclosed in a sausage skin.
- After less than a minute, the mixture was ready for the sausage machine, where skins (sheep and pig casing) are filled and the links twisted by hand.
- Squeeze the sausage meat out of the sausages and discard the skins.
- In another casserole, put the luganica sausage, free of skin and reduced to crumbs, and a little oil and fry until it starts to brown.
- 2.2 A thin layer forming on the surface of certain hot liquids, such as milk, as they cool.
Example sentencesExamples - Air must be excluded from the can by a tight-fitting lid, or a skin can form in the can.
- It is chilly enough that where the water is calm a skin of ice has formed.
- To make matters worse, spinach was often on the menu and there was a skin on the milk they served for breakfast.
Synonyms film, coating, coat, layer, overlay - 2.3 The outermost layer of a structure such as a building or aircraft.
Example sentencesExamples - Check for wrinkles in the fuselage skin where the main gear leg goes into the fuselage.
- The hole in the floor was covered with a sliding panel flush with the aircraft's skin.
- Oddly enough, he could see sparks fly as the bullets impacted the skin of the aircraft.
- With the wing structure complete, the wings were then covered with aircraft grade mahogany skin.
- The stair and theatre foyers are complex folded volumes that reiterate the language of the building skin.
- Herzog & de Meuron's abiding interest in building skins is aggressively advanced at the Walker.
- Obviously, there's some damage to the exterior skin; a couple of panels that have come off.
- It was going up to the 27th floor, so they had to peel the skin off of the building and peel the windows out.
- The men swung axes and hammers into the aluminum skin on the tapering wings and fuselages.
- Originally, the aluminum skin of the building was not supposed to have color accents, says Stern.
- The building skin has been constructed, conceptually, from a melding of the two.
- The wing has been detached from the fuselage to facilitate repairs to portions of the wing skin.
- It takes only a few hours to apply the skin to the structures and to close the village off from the elements.
- Along the fuselage belly, the skin exhibited extreme bulging typical of corrosion damage.
- If your home has cavity walls (two separate skins of brick), filling the gap with insulating foam halves the energy loss.
- Lux Studios preserved its exterior skin and opted for all new interiors.
- Airlines including El Al are developing guns which will disable hijackers but not pierce the skin of an aircraft.
- The longerons were good and did not need replacement but we did replace some skins on the lower fuselage.
- This suggests that the explosive was placed directly on the aircraft's skin.
- It took four months to model the skin, a curvilinear structure and the auditorium interior and ceiling.
Synonyms casing, cover, covering, exterior, pod - 2.4usually skins A strip of sealskin or other material attached to the underside of a ski to prevent a skier from slipping backward while climbing.
Example sentencesExamples - This package includes learning the art of climbing with skins, off-piste skiing and mountain navigation with a qualified instructor.
- Climbing skins stick to the bottom of your skis or snowboard and let you motor uphill.
- The route got steeper and we put climbing skins (strips of special fur) on our ski bottoms.
- We huddle together to fit skins to our skis, fingers instantly numbed to frozen sausages.
- Attach climbing skins to your skis and up you go.
- My climbing skins grip slushy snow for a moment, then slip back with an exhausting lurch.
- We stripped off the synthetic climbing skins from our skis.
- If you're a skier, slap a pair of climbing skins on your skis and you've got an impressively efficient way to get uphill.
- What's more, split-board skins are considerably wider, and therefore have more traction, than a skier's skins.
- Ascending with climbing skins is easier than kicking steps, and skis let you make a fast exit when bad weather rolls in.
- I put the skins on one more time in the timber to gain a little more vertical on the last section into Schofeild Park.
- I understand that the skins were probably 50 years old.
- Snap on your ski crampons if the going gets icy or your skins are slipping.
3Computing A customized graphic user interface for an application or operating system. music, reviews, and attitude all wrapped up in the skin of a catalog Example sentencesExamples - Do you have any plans to offer support for the mod community that likes to create original skins and custom levels?
- For example, will it be possible to use custom skins or will you release tools to allow users to build custom levels?
- The white console is customisable too, with the ability to swap everything from the console's faceplate to the skins on the software interface.
- Not only can you download skins, but GQradio comes with a built-in skin editor so you can unleash your creative spirit.
- They swapped modding techniques and hundreds of custom skins over the website message board.
4British informal A skinhead. Example sentencesExamples - They were surrounded by a devoted crowd of aging skins, punks & Goths worshipping at the church of Sioux.
- Mostly it's a mixture of punks and skins but we have also played on specific skinhead-gigs.
- From my experiences, punks & skins generally get along OK.
- As for punks 'n' skins in Derby, there's hardly any.
- Thanks for the interview, and thanks to all the psychos, punks and skins who've supported us in the UK.
5usually skinsinformal (especially in jazz) a drum or drum head. Example sentencesExamples - Weiss pulverizes the skins, and the guitars of Brownstein and Tucker play off of one another with furious intensity.
- Diaz deploys at least five congas to create his dense patter, their skins tuned for maximum musicality.
- Drummer Ste Barrow is frantically searching for a replacement having just split the skin on his bass drum.
- These boys don't need any chemical assistance to do some very nice things to your brain; just a few strings, pedals, sticks and, er, skins.
- Jordan, in particular, was a sight to behold as he unleashed his relentless fury on the skins.
- The guy hits the skins as if he's trying to nail them to the floor.
- Volunteer your band for the show, and be sure to tear up the skins with a drum solo.
- At one point, the drummer switched instruments with the lead Live Girl - who absolutely sucked on the skins.
- That is, the bass pounds a little heavier, the skins hit a little cleaner, and the guitars are a bit more direct, and all in the most unobtrusive way possible.
- There's a whole list of guests on Love & Respect with Robert Palmer showing up and ex-Band drummer Levon Helm hitting the skins.
- He created original sounds from his cymbals and skins using sticks, brushes, and even his hands.
- With Hawkins' long, blond hair covering his goatee and Grohl wailing on the skins, it almost felt like 1993.
- While this chaos all unfolded up front, drummer Damon Richardson beat the skins with reckless abandon.
- Carved from tweneboa, a Ghanaian cedar tree, the drums have fragile skins and tuning pegs.
- And last time I checked, Mr. Carlos did not pound skins for Metallica.
- A dull aching head-ache drummed through her head like finger pads on a drum skin.
- Steve Albini would be so proud of the heavy metallic rumblings produced by Gar Wood's bass guitar, and Jason Kourkounis simply shreds his skins.
6informal as modifier Relating to or denoting pornographic literature or films. Example sentencesExamples - This is undoubtedly one of the best, most bedazzling films of his skin show career.
verbskɪnskin 1with object Remove the skin from (an animal or a fruit or vegetable). Example sentencesExamples - During his journey he had used the knives to skin rabbits caught by his dogs.
- They had a sofa bed, but it looked as if they'd skinned the dog from Blues' Clues to make it.
- Ellie sighed, said, ‘Okay, you're forgiven,’ and skinned the rabbit very carefully.
- Then, when he had finished, he got Zi to help him skin the deer and preserve the meat, in case they ever ran out of food.
- The first thing I ever cooked was rabbit pie - she skinned the rabbit and I did the rest.
- Cows are still skinned and dismembered alive, and pigs are still scalded to death, just like chickens are.
- She immediately began skinning the rabbits and cutting them into chunks of edible meat, omitting the organs.
- He might have added that if you do try to skin a tiger one paw at a time, it will get very, very cross.
- We even forgave him for skinning a monkey and wearing it as a coat.
- Gutting and skinning the rabbits wouldn't take too long - Father had also taught me how to do that.
- He skinned the large creature and tossed the large pieces of skin and fur in a pile to the side.
- They can surf the waves, skin a rabbit and dazzle a television audience.
- He is shown feeding the sheep and skinning a rabbit.
- After a brisk trot back to his make shift camp, Hawk began to skin the rabbits.
- I quickly ran over and skinned the large beast that had caused these wounds on him.
- It is a malicious lie that the Dalits were found skinning a live cow.
- Trudy sat squatted down, skinning a rabbit she'd caught.
- And unless we want to be skinning some Realmshirian rabbit down the road, we do need more food.
- She laid the logs down, started a little fire, and began skinning the deer with her sword.
- Remove from the oven, skin the tomatoes then place everything, including any juices, in the blender.
- 1.1 Scratch or scrape the skin off (a part of one's body)
he scrambled down from the tree with such haste that he skinned his knees Example sentencesExamples - Your red hair which you tied into a French braid that morning was still perfectly fine, your knee was skinned.
- Another thing is when I skin my knee or fall, they make a big deal about it.
- I just star fished on the ground and skinned all my knees.
- The stairs were hard on my elbows and knees, and I skinned them all badly.
- One particular time she remembered was when Vicki had skinned her knee on the way over to her friend Wil's house.
- The fact I can jump into a half-pipe and never skin my knee or break a bone - the escapism is one huge appeal.
- I'm thinking about skinning my knee, getting rug burns or ‘Indian’ burns, things like that.
- One of Matt's friends had tripped and skinned his knee earlier that evening.
- August was not August unless it was coloured by the few incidents of skinned knees, cuts and bruises.
- I was lying on the ground, and I had skinned my knees and my elbows on the asphalt.
- I, however, did seriously skin both my knees and so completely stuff myself it took about 2 hours to recover.
- We hadn't been this close since I last skinned my knee when I was eleven.
- She lives for the adrenaline rush of attending to ‘little angels’ who skinned their knees.
- It's like skinning your knee when you're a little kid.
- If you fell and skinned your knee or caught a cold, it was because God had seen you do something wrong.
- I had skinned my knee so I sat down and Jennifer said that you could see everything from here.
- And you'll remember stuff like a tone of voice or your knee burning because you skinned it real bad.
- Miraculously, the victim was merely treated for skinned knees, while Simon was arrested and fined for violent conduct.
- When I was little and I had skinned my knees or elbows or something, I'd come home crying.
- It's right up there with having cavities drilled and skinning my knees!
Synonyms graze, scrape, abrade, bark, cut, rub something raw, chafe
2informal Take money from or swindle (someone). Example sentencesExamples - The gimmick has generated so much publicity, Mercury is trying to devise an equivalent design - without skinning the author - for the planned 5,000 book run.
- Inevitably then, it can only financially top up local authorities by skinning you and I to an even deeper extent than it is already doing.
Synonyms swindle, defraud, cheat, fleece, exploit 3no object (of a wound) form new skin. the hole in his skull skinned over Example sentencesExamples - My guess is that the stain is too thickly applied and has skinned over.
- 3.1archaic with object Cover with skin.
the wound was skinned, but the strength of his leg was not restored
Phrases 1(of a person or animal) be very thin. she was nothing but skin and bone Example sentencesExamples - I treated people with unrelenting diarrhea, emaciated to skin and bone, crippled with nerve pain, and lost in dementia.
- He was skin and bone, too weak to hold his head up.
- One day she saw this gardener - skin and bone - working very slowly and coughing all the time.
- If I'd lost another ten I'd have been skin and bone.
- She was the thinnest fox he had ever seen, practically skin and bone.
- She was only skin and bone and obviously very ill.
- She was just skin and bone when she was rescued from the knacker's yard.
- Posh Spice isn't all that - she's all skin and bone and she's got horrible spots.
- She was tiny at a weight of 4lb 11 oz and she was skin and bone then… now she's a great baby to play with and she's nine months old.
- I couldn't even tell what it was because it was skin and bone.
2(of a person or animal) be very thin. Example sentencesExamples - She was only skin and bone and obviously very ill.
- She was the thinnest fox he had ever seen, practically skin and bone.
- He was skin and bone, too weak to hold his head up.
- I treated people with unrelenting diarrhea, emaciated to skin and bone, crippled with nerve pain, and lost in dementia.
- Posh Spice isn't all that - she's all skin and bone and she's got horrible spots.
- She was tiny at a weight of 4lb 11 oz and she was skin and bone then… now she's a great baby to play with and she's nine months old.
- She was just skin and bone when she was rescued from the knacker's yard.
- I couldn't even tell what it was because it was skin and bone.
- If I'd lost another ten I'd have been skin and bone.
- One day she saw this gardener - skin and bone - working very slowly and coughing all the time.
by the skin of one's teeth By a very narrow margin; barely. I only got away by the skin of my teeth Example sentencesExamples - A Hampshire firefighter based at Redbridge Fire Station said: ‘They only got out by the skin of their teeth.’
- On the other end of the spectrum are cases in which a conviction is sustained, but in some ways almost by the skin of their teeth.
- ‘You have escaped prison by the skin of your teeth,’ the judge told him.
- You have escaped from going to prison by the skin of your teeth.
- At Pennypit, meanwhile, Berwick held on to third spot by the skin of their teeth with a one-point 26-25 win over Preston Lodge.
- In the earlier game the Eagles got home by the skin of their teeth.
- Well, I think they got out of this by the skin of their teeth from their point of view.
- Shepherd ‘B’ won by the skin of their teeth to go second.
- As the ball was kicked out referee Pet Moran blew the full time whistle with Portlaoise holding out by the skin of their teeth.
- The Oxford University Pool Team has not lost to Cambridge since 1999, when the ‘rascal Tabs’ managed to grind out a 46-44 victory by the skin of their teeth.
Synonyms only just, just, narrowly, by a hair's breadth, by a very small margin, by the narrowest of margins, barely, by a nose
1informal Annoy or irritate someone intensely. it was the sheer effrontery of them that got under my skin Example sentencesExamples - What's most annoying is that it seems to get under your skin - not irritating like a rash, more like an itch that needs to be scratched.
- She would never let them manage to anger her or get under her skin.
- Casey tries not to let such negativity bother him, but it gets under his skin nonetheless.
- Ugh, someone here is getting under my skin, really starting to annoy me, and I can't put my figure on why/how exactly.
- What gets under our skin, aggravates, infuriates, frustrates and makes us hate is of the same seed that also begets love and divine revelation.
- This rich kid was getting under my skin, but the free ride out of town in a jiffy was what I was after.
Synonyms irritate, annoy, gall, irk, get someone's back up, put someone's back up, pique, rankle with, nettle, needle, bother, vex, provoke, displease, upset, offend, affront, anger, exasperate, disgruntle, ruffle, get on someone's nerves, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise, raise someone's hackles, rub up the wrong way 2informal Fill someone's mind in a compelling and persistent way. Example sentencesExamples - Some songs get under your skin and refuse to move.
- We didn't know what it was, but it got under your skin; it was a very hip, gospel, Latin sound.
- Then I did a little play and quite liked that and it got under my skin.
- I've never warmed to Bowie, which is the same as saying: Bowie never really chilled me, got under my skin, possessed me…
- We wanted to make a movie that slowly got under your skin, that was about building, inescapable dread.
- Albert's Sam is a study in understatement, slowly but surely getting under Izzy 's skin.
- Who were the other writers who got under your skin?
- It gets under your skin and opens up a space that is filled by sadness and silence.
- In twice finding myself in the thick of efforts to save it from closure, the club has really got under my skin.
- His intensely intimate music gets under your skin rather than grabbing you by the lapels.
Synonyms obsess, intrigue, captivate, interest greatly, charm 3informal Reach or display a deep understanding of someone. movies that get under the skin of our national character Example sentencesExamples - I know it's a cliche but I thought the author really managed to get under Clara 's skin in a way which made us empathise with her.
- And yes, you guys did manage to get under my skin.
- He changed his ways many years ago because a good, decent woman got under his skin and made him understand what love was all about.
- Then he comes in contact with a woman who gets under his skin.
informal Shake or slap hands together as a gesture or friendship or solidarity. Example sentencesExamples - I gave him some skin, and his mother gave him a hug.
- Remember the time he went to give me skin and I shook his hand!
- He raised up his hand, palm side down. "Give me some skin, brother." I stuck out my hand and smiled.
- 'Give me some skin on that one,' said Spencer, thrusting his palm toward Winston.
informal Have a personal investment in an organization or undertaking, and therefore a vested interest in its success. Example sentencesExamples - You have sweat on your brow, but your partner has skin in the game.
- "You want them to have skin in the game and this is a good way to get that," he says.
- It is for people who have skin in the game.
- He said on "This Week" yesterday, everybody has got to have skin in the game.
- "I never get involved in a company unless I have skin in the game," he said.
- Sure, he had skin in the game.
- Having skin in the game kept everyone motivated and honest, essential in an operation that trusted players to walk around with thousands of dollars in their pockets.
- But all politics are local and it's very personal when you feel you have skin in the game.
- A consultant may have skin in the game if you buy from a certain vendor.
- When you share bad news and try to reassure people, they're likely not to believe you unless they feel you have skin in the game.
have a thick (or thin) skin Be insensitive (or oversensitive) to criticism or insults. Example sentencesExamples - I don't have a thick skin naturally, but I've had to at times.
- I have a thick skin, but when your family members get affected by it, it's time to leave.
- There's no point in having a thin skin in this game.
- ‘I realise that I will not be on the Christmas card list in Badenoch and Strathspey this year but I have a thick skin,’ he said.
- Let me begin by stating that I am a human being although I have a thick skin.
- It's a good job I have a thick skin is all I can say, the abuse was substantial and relentless.
- The Olympic association and other officials seem to have a thick skin.
- I have a thick skin, but I constantly ‘feel’ like I'm offending everyone.
- Chairmen and chief executives need to have a thick skin and take justified criticism of their companies in the way it is intended.
- Del Ponte dismissed the criticism: ‘He who does not have a thick skin should choose another field of work,’ she said.
informal Used to indicate that one is not offended or adversely affected by something. it's no skin off my nose if you don't want dessert Example sentencesExamples - I probably shouldn't comment because it's no skin off my nose if you undergrads want to gut your services in order to get $30 more beer money a term.
- I mean, it's no skin off my nose if Greenwald and screenwriter Ernest Thompson (On Golden Pond) wanted to go with such a formalist framework.
- Half-joking, she notes ‘it's no skin off my nose’ if the film fails, as she's the support.
- Look, it's no skin off my nose - he's not after me, so I couldn't care less.
- When I say ‘it's no skin off my nose ‘, there is an immediate context that gives the expression more meaning.
- But, finally, a word for the guys at the Met office - if your forecast does happen to be part of a conspiracy, it's no skin off my nose.
- I assumed the position of ‘I'll go look at it, cos it's no skin off my nose’ and went along early evening.
Synonyms i don't care, i don't mind, i'm not bothered, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't matter to me, it's of no concern to me, it's of no importance to me
keep (or sleep in) a whole skin archaic Escape being wounded or injured. Example sentencesExamples - For if he wanted to be safe, and considered it his first object to sleep in a whole skin, it had been his best way not to have stirred from home.
- It is agreeable to keep a whole skin; but the skin still remains an organ sensitive to the atmosphere.
- But were concerned rather in keeping a whole skin by parlaying or by spilling cowardly tears to excite pity.
- There is defeat, even in the rest he wins, to the man who, that he may keep a whole skin, turns and runs from the battle.
make someone's skin crawl (or creep) Cause someone to feel fear, horror, or disgust. a person dying in a fire—doesn't it make your skin crawl? Example sentencesExamples - She hadn't even said anything to this girl, but she could make Hannah 's skin crawl.
- The very idea of being around magic made Karl 's skin crawl.
- A clerk innocently used a word to describe a section of books that made Cisneros 's skin crawl.
- Justin was, well, Justin, and the thought of him doing that with Rebecca was enough to make Michael 's skin crawl.
- It wasn't about all those things Francis did that made Van Gundy 's skin crawl and the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
- There was something about Lazar's matter-of-fact tone that made Carl 's skin crawl.
- This assistant had the stomach for torture, bloodshed, and all of the things that made Tyrell 's skin crawl.
- It was one of sadistic smugness that made Analise 's skin crawl.
- His smile was silk - a malicious caress that made Joe 's skin crawl.
- The mere knowledge that I talked to you makes Greg 's skin crawl, and I'm not going to hurt him by meeting you.
there's more than one way to skin a cat proverb There's more than one way of achieving one's aim. Example sentencesExamples - However, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- Harry Briggs, City of York councillor for Haxby, said: ‘Maybe people in Haxby have got more brains, after all there's more than one way to skin a cat.’
- I don't necessarily see the two interpretations as mutually exclusive, because we're in the melty melty realms of myth here where there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- You learn as you get older there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- There is more than one way to skin a cat, or protect your assets.
- There's innumerable ways to skin a metallic cat so why cling to an outdated formula?
- Or more prosaically, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- Maybe those dummies in their corporate towers have finally gotten the message and realised that there's more than one way to skin a cat.
- ‘It is an option open to the club but there are loads of ways to skin a cat,’ he said.
In reality, as opposed to superficial appearances. he still believes that all women are goddesses under the skin Example sentencesExamples - However, under the skin, there are more significant additions and upgrades.
- This well-crafted documentary probes under the skin of taxidermy and finds much more than glass eyes and straw.
- And suddenly I think the tattooed man has got it wrong, and that we're not all the same under the skin.
- We're in the tradition of journalists going out and trying to get under the skin of the country.
- Air vents in the bonnet have also gone, another clue that things are different under the skin.
- There is something chilling in the will for violence latent under the skin of our society - and it is not an appetite which should be fed.
- Those more important things are easing under the skin of her characters and making sure she finds the right fit.
Origin Late Old English scinn, from Old Norse skinn; related to Dutch schinden ‘flay, peel’ and German schinden. |