skive
verb /skaɪv/
/skaɪv/
[intransitive, transitive] (British English, informal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they skive | /skaɪv/ /skaɪv/ |
| he / she / it skives | /skaɪvz/ /skaɪvz/ |
| past simple skived | /skaɪvd/ /skaɪvd/ |
| past participle skived | /skaɪvd/ /skaɪvd/ |
| -ing form skiving | /ˈskaɪvɪŋ/ /ˈskaɪvɪŋ/ |
- to avoid work or school by staying away or leaving early synonym bunk off
- ‘Where's Tom?’ ‘Skiving as usual.’
- skive off She always skives off early on Fridays.
- I always skived off school when I could.
- skive something I skived the last lecture.
Word Originearly 20th cent.: perhaps from French esquiver ‘slink away’.