Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
- 1,538
- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Skil'der, v. i. p. 1238To beg; to pilfer; to skelder. [Scot. and Prov. Eng.] Sir W. Scott.Skil'ful, a. p. 1238See SKILLFUL.Skĭll, n. p. 1238Knowledge; understanding. That by his fellowship he color might Both his estate and love from skill of any wight. Spenser. Nor want we skill or art. Milton. 2. The familiar knowledge of any art or…Skĭll, v. t. p. 1238To know; to understand. [Obs.] “To skill the arts of expressing our mind.” Barrow.Skĭll, v. i. p. 1238To be knowing; to have understanding; to be dexterous in performance. [Obs.] I can not skill of these thy ways. Herbert. He can not skill to keep a stock going upon that trade. Milton. 2. To differ…Skĭlled, a. p. 1238Having familiar knowledge united with readiness and dexterity in its application; familiarly acquainted with; expert; skillful;— followed by in; as, a person skilled in logic or geometry.Skil'let, n. p. 1238A small vessel of iron, copper, or other metal, with a handle, used for heating and boiling water, and other culinary purposes.Skill'ful, a. p. 1238Possessed of, or displaying, skill; knowing and ready; well-versed; able in management; as, a skillful mechanic; — often followed by at or in: as, skillful at the organ; skillful in drawing. [Written…Skill'ful-ly, adv. p. 1238In a skillful manner; with skill; with nice art; dexterously; as, a machine skillfully made; a ship skillfully managed.Skill'ful-ness, n. p. 1238The quality of possessing skill; dexterousness; knowledge and ability derived from experience.Skĭl'ling, n. p. 1238A bay of a barn; also, a slight addition to a cottage.Skill'ling, n. p. 1238A money of account in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, worth about one cent.Skill'-less, a. p. 1238Wanting skill; artless. Shak.Skĭlt, n. p. 1238Difference. [Obs.]Skĭlts, n. pl. p. 1238A kind of large, coarse trowsers formerly worn, reaching just below the knee. [Local U. S.] Bartlett.Skĭm, n. p. 1238The thick matter that forms on the surface of a liquor; scum. [Rare.]Skĭm, v. t. p. 1238To clear, as a liquid, from substance floating thereon, by an instrument that dips under and passes along the surface; as, to skim milk. 2. To take off by skimming; as, to skim cream. 3. To pass near…Skĭm, v. i. p. 1238To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface. Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main. Pope.…Skĭm'ble-scăm/ble, a. p. 1238Wandering; disorderly; rambling; unconnected. [Colloq. and low.] “Such a deal of skimble-scamble stuff.” Shak.Skĭm'-cōl/ter, n. p. 1238A colter for paring off the surface of land.Skĭm'i-try, n. p. 1238See SKIMMINGTON.Skĭm'mer, n. p. 1238A utensil for skimming liquors. 2. One who skims over a subject. 3. A web-footed water-fowl; the shearwater. See SHEARWATER.Skĭm'mer-ton, n. p. 1238See SKIMMINGTON.Skĭm'-milk, n. p. 1238Milk from which the cream has been taken; skimmed milk.Skĭm'ming, n. p. 1238The act of taking off that which floats upon a liquid, as scum, cream, or the like. 2. That which is removed from the surface of a liquid by skimming; scum; — chiefly used in the plural.Skĭm'ming-ly, adv. p. 1238By skimming or gliding along the surface.Skĭm'ming-ton, n. p. 1238A word of unknown signification, but probably the name of some notorious scold of olden time; — used only in the following phrase: — To ride skimmington, to perform a burlesque ceremony in ridicule…Skĭn, n. p. 1238(Physiol.) The external membranous envelope of animal bodies. ☞ In man, the skin is composed of two layers: the corium, cutis vera, or true skin, and the epidermis, cuticle, or scarf-skin. The true…Skĭn, v. t. p. 1238To strip off the skin or hide of; to flay; to peel. 2. To cover with skin, or as with skin; to cover superficially. It does but skin and film the ulcerous place. Shak.Skĭn, v. i. p. 1238To be covered with skin; as, a wound skins over. 2. To produce, in recitation or other school exercise, the work of another for one's own;—in colloquial use in the schools and colleges of the United…Skĭnch, v. i. p. 1238To give scant measure; to squeeze or pinch in order to effect a saving. [Prov. Eng.]Skĭn'-deep, a. p. 1238Superficial; slight. Feltham.Skĭn'flĭnt, n. p. 1238A very penurious person; a miser; a niggard.Skĭn'ful, n. p. 1238All that can be held by the skin; as, a skinful of liquor.Skĭnk, n. p. 1238Drink; pottage. [Obs.] Bacon. 2. [Lat. scincus, Gr. σκίγκος.] (Zoöl.) A kind of lizard, of which one species (the Scincus officinalis), was considered by the ancients a sort of universal medicine. It…Skĭnk, v. i. p. 1238To serve drink; to draw liquor. [Obs.] Such wine as Ganymede doth skink to Jove. Shirley.Skĭnk'er, n. p. 1238One who serves liquors. [Obs.]Skĭn'less, a. p. 1238Having no skin, or a very thin skin; as, skinless fruit.Skĭn'less-ly, adv. p. 1238In a skinless manner; without skin.Skĭn'ner, n. p. 1238One who skins. 2. One who deals in skins, pelts, or hides.Skĭn'ni-ness, n. p. 1238The quality of being skinny.Skĭn'ny, a. p. 1238Consisting of skin, or of skin only; wanting flesh. He holds him with a skinny hand. Coleridge.Skĭn'-wo͝ol, n. p. 1238Wool pulled from the dead skin, and not sheared from the living animal; felt-wool. Simmonds.Skĭp, v. i. p. 1238To leap; to bound; to spring, as a goat or lamb. The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy reason, would he skip and play? Pope. To skip over, to pass without notice; to omit. Bacon.Skĭp, v. t. p. 1238To pass over or by; to omit; to miss; to leap over. They who have a mind to see the issue, may skip these two chapters. Burnet.Skĭp, n. p. 1238A leap; a bound; a spring. 2. The act of passing over an interval from one thing to another; an omission of a part. 3. (Mus.) A passage from one sound to another, by more than a degree at once. Busby.Skĭp'-jăck, n. p. 1238An upstart. [Obs.] Ford. 2. (Entom.) One of a family of coleopterous insects remarkable for leaping to a considerable height when placed upon their back; a snap or snap-bug.Skĭp'-kĕn'nel, n. p. 1238A lackey; a foot-boy.Skĭp'per, n. p. 1238(Naut.) The master of a small trading or merchant vessel. 2. A boy employed on board a ship; a ship-boy. [Obs.] 3. [From skip.] A dancer. 4. A youngling; a young, thoughtless person; a giddy youth.…Skĭp'pet, n. p. 1239A small boat. [Obs.] A little skippet floating did appear. Spenser.Skip'ping-ly, adv. p. 1239In a skipping manner; by skips, or leaps.Skip'ping-rōpe, n. p. 1239A small rope used by young persons in skipping, or leaping up and down.Skĭrl, v. t. p. 1239To utter in a loud tone; to scream. [Scot. and Prov. Eng.] W. Scott.Skīrl, v. i. p. 1239To scream; to shriek. [Scot. and Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.Skĭr'ling, n. p. 1239A shrill cry; as, the skirling of the women. W. Scott.Skīr'ling, n. p. 1239A small trout; — a name used loosely.Skĭr'mish, n. p. 1239A slight fight in war; a light combat between detachments from armies which are yet at a considerable distance from each other, or between detached and small parties. 2. A contest; a contention. They…Skĭr'mish, v. i. p. 1239To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish; to act as skirmishers.Skĭr'mish-er, n. p. 1239One who skirmishes; one of such troops as are sent forward in advance, or move deployed in loose order on the flanks of a marching column, to discover and intercept hostile forces.Skīrr, v. t. p. 1239To ramble over in order to clear; to scour. [Obs.] Shak.