Etymology dictionary
skill (n.) — slander (n.)
skill (n.)
early 12c., "knowledge, divine wisdom;" late 12c., "power of discernment, sound judgment; that which is reasonable," senses all now obsolete, from Old Norse skil "distinction, ability to make out, discernment, adjustment," which is related to skilja (v.) "to separate; discern, understand," from Proto-Germanic *skaljo- "divide, separate" (source also of Swedish skäl "reason," Danish skjel "a separation, boundary, limit," Middle Low German schillen "to differ," Middle Low German, Middle Dutch schele "separation, discrimination;" from PIE root *skel- (1) "to cut").
The sense of "practical knowledge and ability, cleverness" is recorded by early 13c.
skillful (adj.)
also skilful, early 14c., "knowledgeable, following reason," senses now obsolete, from skill + -ful. The meaning "having trained and practiced faculties, possessing practical abilities" is by 1560s. Also in Middle English, "just, proper." Related: Skillfully; skilfully; skillfulness; skilfulness.
skilled (adj.)
"having the knowledge and ability which comes from experience," 1550s, past-participle adjective from skill (v.) "to have personal and practical knowledge" (c. 1200), which is from Old Norse skilja "to separate, part, divide; break off, break up; part company, take leave; discern, distinguish; understand, find out; decide, settle," from the source of skill (n.).
skillet (n.)
c. 1400, skellet, "pan used for boiling or frying," a word of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old French escuelette "a little dish" (Modern French écuelle), diminutive of escuele "plate," from Latin scutella "serving platter" (see scuttle (n.)); or formed in English from skele "wooden bucket or pail" (early 14c.), from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skjola "pail, bucket."
skim (v.)
early 15c. skimmen, "lift the scum from by a sliding motion, clear (a liquid) from matter floating on the surface" (the agent noun skimmer, for the utensil used, is attested from late 14c.), from Old French escumer "remove scum," from escume (Modern French écume) "scum," from a Germanic source (compare Old High German scum "scum," German Schaum; see scum).
The meaning "throw (a stone) so as to skip across the surface of (water)" is from 1610s. The meaning "move lightly and rapidly over the surface of" is from 1650s, from the motion involved in skimming liquid; that of "glance over carelessly, pass over lightly in perusal" (in reference to printed matter) is recorded by 1799. Related: Skimmed; skimming.
skimmer (n.)
"skimming utensil," late 14c., probably an agent noun from skim (v.). It is attested from 1751 as "one who reads superficially." The North American shore bird (1785) is so called from its method of feeding. As "one who diverts money from earnings for some private purpose" by 1970.
skim-milk (n.)
"milk from which the cream has been skimmed," 1590s, from skim (v.) + milk (n.).
skimp (v.)
"deal scant measure to," 1879, probably a back-formation of skimpy, or a variant or alternative form of scamp or scrimp, or influenced by those words. Related: Skimped; skimping.
skimpy (adj.)
"spare, scanty," 1842, from skimp (adj.) "scanty" (1775), which perhaps ultimately is from an early 18c. alteration of scrimp or a variant of scamp (v.). According to OED, "not in general use until late 19th c." Skimping, in the same sense, from the adjective, is attested by 1778. Related: Skimpily; skimpiness.
skin (n.)
c. 1200, "animal hide" (usually dressed and tanned), from Old Norse skinn "animal hide, fur," from Proto-Germanic *skinth- (source also of rare Old English scinn, Old High German scinten, German schinden "to flay, skin;" German dialectal schind "skin of a fruit," Flemish schinde "bark"), from PIE *sken- "to peel off, flay" (source also of Breton scant "scale of a fish," Irish scainim "I tear, I burst"), extended form of root *sek- "to cut."
The usual Anglo-Saxon word is hide (n.1). The meaning "epidermis of a living animal or person" is attested from early 14c.; extended to fruits, vegetables, etc. late 14c. Jazz slang sense of "drum" is from 1927. As short for skinhead from 1970. As an adjective, it formerly had a slang sense of "cheating" (1868, compare the verb); that of "pornographic" is attested from 1968. Skin deep "superficial, not deeper than the thickness of the skin" (also literally, of wounds, etc.) is attested by 1610s:
The skin of one's teeth as the narrowest of margins is attested from 1550s in the Geneva Bible, a literal translation of the Hebrew text in Job xix.20. To get under (someone's) skin "annoy" is from 1896. Skin graft is from 1871. Skin merchant "recruiting officer" is from 1792 (the older sense is "dealer in hides"). Skin and bone as a description of emaciation or extreme leanness is in Middle English:
skin (v.)
late 14c., skinnen, "to remove the skin from" (originally in reference to circumcision), from skin (n.). As "to have (a particular kind of) skin" from c. 1400. As "provide with skin, cover as with skin," 1540s.
In 19c. U.S. colloquial use, "to strip of valuable possessions, fleece, plunder;" hence skin-game (1868), one in which one player has no chance against the others (as with a stacked deck), the type of con game played in a skin-house ("gambling house;" the same phrase, for "theater featuring nude women" is attested by 1972). Skin the cat in gymnastics is from 1845. Related: Skinned; skinning.
skin-diver (n.)
"one who goes underwater without a full diving suit," 1932, from skin (n.) + diver (n.). Related: Skin-diving.
skinflint (n.)
"miser, one who makes use of contemptible economy to keep money," c. 1700 ("Dictionary of the Canting Crew"), slang ; literally "kind of person who would skin a flint to save or gain something," from skin (v.) + flint. Flay-flint in same sense is from 1670s. Among the 18c. slang terms for a miserly person was nipcheese (1785, originally "a ship's purser").
skinhead (n.)
1969, in U.K. youth gang sense, from skin (n.) + head (n.). Earlier, in U.S., it meant "man with a crew cut" (1953), especially a military recruit.
skink (n.)
type of lizard common in North Africa and Arabia, 1580s, from French scinc (Modern French scinque), from Latin scincus, from Greek skinkos, a name given to some kind of lizard common in Asia and North Africa, of unknown origin. Formerly thought to have medicinal qualities. The by-forms (scincoid, etc.) have the Latin spelling, from Modern Latin scincoides.
skinless (adj.)
"stripped of skin, having no skin," mid-14c., from skin (n.) + -less. Related: Skinlessly; skinlessness.
skinner (n.)
late 14c. (as a surname, mid-13c.), "a dealer in skins, one who prepares or sells animal skins," from skin (n.); as "one who skins," 1690s, agent noun from skin (v.). Also in U.S. use "one who strips, robs, or plunders;" the name given to a band of marauders who committed depredations on Loyalists in New York during the Revolution. Compare Old Norse skinnari "a dealer in skins; a skinner, tanner."
Skinner box (n.)
1940 (earlier Skinner apparatus, 1938), from U.S. psychologist B.F. Skinner (1904-1990). Related: Skinnerian.
skinnery (n.)
mid-15c., "animal skins collectively;" late 15c., "place where skins are sold, the workshop of a skinner," from skin (n.) + -ery or skinner + -y (1).
skinny (adj.)
c. 1400, skinni, "resembling skin," from skin (n.) + -y (2). The meaning "lean, emaciated, showing skin with little appearance of flesh under it" is recorded from c. 1600. Of clothes, "tight-fitting" by 1970. In the noun sense of "the truth" it is World War II military slang, perhaps from the notion of the "naked" truth. Related: skinniness.
skinny-dipping (n.)
"swimming naked," 1959; see skin (n.) + dip (v.). Skinny-dip (v.) is by 1962.
skint (adj.)
"broke, out of money," 1925, slang variant of skinned, past participle of skin (v.).
skin-tight (adj.)
"fitting like skin, as tight as skin," 1885, originally of men's clothing, from skin (n.) + tight (adj.).
skip (v.)
c. 1300, skippen, "spring lightly; go with a leap or bound; take light, dancing steps," also "jump over," probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skopa "to take a run," from Proto-Germanic *skupan (source also of Old Swedish skuppa, dialectal Swedish skimpa, skopa "to skip, leap"). Related: Skipped; skipping.
The meaning "omit intervening parts (in reading or narrating), read over" is recorded from late 14c. Command skip it "drop the topic, leave off talking about it" is by 1934.
The meaning "to bounce" is from mid-15c.; the sense of "cause to skip or bound," especially of a thrown thing, as a flat stone across water, etc. is from 1680s.
It is attested by mid-14c. as "to run, go, rush, flee," also "to make off, hasten away. To skip out "run out, flee" is by late 14c. (in Middle English it also meant "leap up, spring forth"). The modern transitive meaning "fail to attend" is attested by 1905, perhaps ultimately from skip school (attested by 1810).
The custom of skipping rope, "jumping a rope slackly held at both ends and in steady motion over one's head" has been traced to 17c.; it was commonly done by boys as well as girls but by late 19c. was described as "a common amusement of young girls." [Century Dictionary, 1895]
skip (n.2)
"captain," short for skipper (n.1), by 1830, originally in sports jargon (curling).
skip (n.1)
early 15c., skippe, "a leap, a jump, a spring, a bound," from skip (v.). The meaning "a passing over or disregarding" is from 1650s.
skipping (n.)
early 15c., "jumping, leaping, dancing," verbal noun from skip (v.). Related: Skippingly. Skipping rope "piece of rope with handles" is attested by 1802.
skipjack (n.)
1550s, "a pert shallow-brained fellow; a puppy, a whipper-snapper; a conceited fop or dandy" [OED], from skip (v.) + generic name jack (n.). Applied 1703 to tropical fishes with leaping tendencies. In reference to a kind of sailing boat used on Chesapeake Bay, attested by 1887.
skippable (adj.)
"that may be leaped across or omitted," 1820, from skip (v.) + -able.
skipper (n.2)
"one who or that which skips, leaps, or dances," mid-13c. in reference to a locust; c. 1300 as the name of a horse; mid-15c. as "one who dances" (but early 14c. as a surname, Cicely la Skippere); agent noun from skip (v.). As a type of butterfly, 1817, so called for its quick, darting flights.
skipper (n.1)
"sea captain, master of a small trading or merchant vessel," late 14c. (late 12c. as a surname), from Middle Dutch scipper, from scip (see ship (n.)). In some instances perhaps from or influenced by cognate terms: Anglo-French eskipre, Old French eschipre, Old English scipere. Also compare English shipper, used from late 15c. to 17c. in the sense of "skipper." The transferred sense of "captain of a sporting team" is from 1830. Related: Skippership.
skirl (v.)
"to emit a shrill sound," mid-15c., probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian dialectal skrylla, skrella "to shriek"), ultimately of imitative origin. Originally of persons, in reference to bagpipes it is attested by 1660s ("Baith skirl and screed") but now rarely is used otherwise. Related: Skirled; skirling.
As a noun, "a skirling noise," 1510s, from the verb. Compare Middle English skrillen "to shriek, scream" (late 15c.) also probably from Old Norse.
skirmish (v.)
"fight irregularly, singly or in small parties," c. 1300, scarmuchen, from Old French escarmuchier, from Italian scaramucciare (see skirmish (n.)). The earlier verb was skirm (skirmen, c 1200), from Anglo-French eskirmir. Related: Skirmished; skirmisher; skirmishing.
skirmish (n.)
late 14c., scarmuch, "irregular fight, especially between small numbers of soldiers," from Old French escarmouche "skirmish," from Italian scaramuccia, earlier schermugio. This is held to be probably from a Germanic source, with a diminutive or depreciatory suffix (see -ish), from Proto-Germanic *skirmjanan (compare Middle Dutch schermen "protect," Old High German scirmen "to protect, defend," German Schirm "umbrella," originally "leather protection on a shield"), from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut."
It was influenced in Middle English by a different verb, skirmysshen, "to brandish a weapon," from Anglo-French eskirmiss-, stem of eskirmir "to fence," from Frankish *skirmjan, from the same Germanic source as the other word. An earlier verb in English was skirm (Middle English skirmen), c. 1200, "to fence, fight with a weapon, fight in small parties," from Anglo-French.
Compare scrimmage, which is a variant of it; for the form, compare rubbish. Other modern Germanic languages augment the diminutive with a second suffix: German scharmützel, Dutch schermutseling, Danish skjærmydsel. Skirmish-line "line of soldiers thrown out in advance of the main part of an army" is attested by 1864.
skirting (n.)
"strong material made for women's underskirts," by 1882, noun from skirt (n.), with ending as in matting, batting, etc.
skirt (n.)
early 14c. (mid-13c. as a surname), "lower part of a woman's dress," the part that hangs from the waist, from Old Norse skyrta "shirt, a kind of kirtle;" see shirt, which is from the Old English cognate, and from which it is not always distinguishable in early use.
The sense development from "shirt" to "skirt" is obscure; it could be from the long shirts of peasant garb (compare Low German cognate Schört, in some dialects "woman's gown").
Also "lower part of a man's gown, clerical vestment, etc." (late 14c.). The sense of "border, edge, part of anything furthest from the mass or the center" (in outskirt, etc.) is recorded by late 15c.
Metonymic use for "women collectively" is from 1550s; the slang sense of "young woman" is from 1906; skirt-chaser is attested by 1942.
skirt (v.)
c. 1600, "to border, form the edge of," from skirt (n.). The meaning "to pass along the edge" is from 1620s. Related: Skirted; skirting.
skit (n.)
1820, "piece of light satire or caricature, lampoon," from the earlier sense of "a satirical remark or reflection" (1727), which apparently is from an earlier still sense of "a light wench; a vain, frivolous, or wanton girl" (1570s, originally Scottish, now archaic).
This is said to be from or related to a verb skit "go off suddenly; shy or be skittish" (1610s), which is of uncertain origin, perhaps ultimately from Old Norse skjuta "to shoot, move quickly," cognate of Old English sceotan (see shoot (v.)), or perhaps it is a back-formation from skittish.
skite (n.)
"contemptible person," 1790, Scottish and Northern, earlier "a sudden slap, stroke, or blow" (1785), perhaps from Old Norse skyt-, from skjota "to shoot" (compare skit, and see shoot (v.)).
Also perhaps from or influenced by dialectal skit (n.), Middle English skite "dysentery, diarrhea" (mid-14c., c. 1200 in surnames), from Old Norse skitr "to shit."
skitter (v.)
"to run rapidly," 1845, frequentative of skite "to dart, run quickly" (1721), perhaps from a Scandinavian source (compare Old Norse skjota "to shoot, launch, move quickly, avoid" a blow; Norwegian dialectal skutla "glide rapidly"); see skittish and compare skit. Related: Skittered; skittering. As a noun from 1905.
skittish (adj.)
early 15c., "very lively, frivolous," perhaps from a Scandinavian word related to Old Norse skjota "to shoot, launch, move quickly," from PIE root *skeud- "to shoot, chase, throw." Compare Northern dialect skite "to move by leaps and bounds" (see skit).
The sense of "shy, easily frightened, nervous, apt to run" is by c. 1500, of horses. The meaning "changeable, fickle, inconstant" is from c. 1600; that of "inclined to be coy or reserved" is from 1640s. Related: Skittishly; skittishness.
skittles (n.)
game played with nine pins, a ball, and an alley, 1630s, plural of skittle, the word for the pins used in the game, which probably is from a Scandinavian source (compare Danish and Norwegian skyttel "shuttle, child's toy"). But OED says there is no evidence of a connection. Related: Skittle-ball; skittle-alley. Beer and skittles "unmixed enjoyment" is by 1837 (with porter in place of beer).
skittle (n.)
see skittles.
skive (v.2)
"evade duty," usually with off, 1919, probably from earlier sense "move lightly and quickly, dart" (1854), of unknown origin. Related: Skived; skiver; skiving.
skive (v.1)
"split or cut into strips, pare off, grind away," 1825, from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skifa "to cut, split," from Proto-Germanic *skif-, from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split." Related: Skived; skiver; skiving.
skivvies (n.)
"underwear," by 1932 (skivie), nautical slang, of unknown origin. An earlier skivvy/skivey was London slang for "female domestic servant" (1902).
skoal (interj.)
also skol, Scandinavian toasting word expressing good wishes, c. 1600, from Danish skaal "a toast," literally "bowl, cup," from Old Norse skal "bowl, drinking vessel," originally a cup made from a shell, from Proto-Germanic *skelo (from PIE root *skel- (1) "to cut"). The word first appears in Scottish English, and according to OED might have been popularized or introduced by the visit of James VI of Scotland to Denmark in 1589.
skosh (n.)
"a little bit," Korean War armed forces slang, from Japanese sukoshi "few, little, some."
*skoto-
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "dark, shade."
It forms all or part of: nightshade; scotoma; shade; shadow; shady.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek skotos "darkness, gloom;" Albanian kot "darkness;" Old Irish scath, Old Welsh scod, Breton squeut "darkness," Gaelic sgath "shade, shadow, shelter;" Old English scead "partial darkness," sceadu "shade, shadow, darkness," Dutch schaduw, German Schatten, Gothic skadus "shadow."
Skraeling (n.)
1767 as the ancient Norse name for inhabitants of Greenland encountered by the Viking settlers there, from Old Norse Skræingjar (plural), apparently literally "little men" (compare Icelandic skrælna "shrink"); another term for them was smair menn. The name may have been used first in reference to the inhabitants of Vineland (who would have been Native American), then transferred to Innuit, who adopted it into their own language as Kalaleq.
*skribh-
*skrībh-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut, separate, sift;" an extended form of root *sker- (1) "to cut."
It forms all or part of: ascribe; ascription; circumscribe; conscript; conscription; describe; description; festschrift; inscribe; inscription; manuscript; postscript; prescribe; prescription; proscribe; sans-serif; scribble; scribe; script; scriptorium; scripture; scrivener; serif; shrift; shrive; subscribe; superscribe; superscript; transcribe; scarification; scarify.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek skariphasthai "to scratch an outline, sketch;" Latin scribere "to write" (to carve marks in wood, stone, clay, etc.); Lettish skripat "scratch, write;" Old Norse hrifa "scratch."
sku (n.)
by 1974, acronym from stock-keeping unit.
skua (n.)
type of predatory gull-like bird, 1670s, from Faeroese skugvur, related to Old Norse skufr "seagull, tuft, tassel," and possibly to skauf "fox's tail."
skulduddery (n.)
also sculduddery, "fornication, adultery," 1713 (skuldudrie); see skulduggery.
skulduggery (n.)
"underhanded dealings, roguish intrigue," 1856, apparently an alteration of Scottish sculdudrie "adultery" (1713), via sculduddery "bawdry, obscenity, grossness, unchastity" (1821), a euphemism of uncertain origin but probably popularized in English via Scott.
skulk (v.)
"go or move furtively; withdrawn into a close, secure place for concealment," c. 1300 (late 13c. as a surname), skulken, from a Scandinavian source such as Norwegian skulke "to shirk, malinger," Danish skulke "to spare oneself, shirk," Swedish skolka "to shirk, skulk, slink, play truant."
Common in Middle English but lacking in 15c.-16c. writing; it was possibly re-elevated 17c. Related: Skulked; skulking; skulkery. Skulker as an old name for the hare, also for the devil, is attested from c. 1300. Middle English also had skulkerie "concealment, stealthy behavior or action" c. 1400.
skull (n.)
"cranium, the bony framework of the head," c. 1200, sculle, probably from Old Norse skalli "a bald head, skull," a general Scandinavian word (compare Swedish skulle, Norwegian skult), itself probably related to Old English scealu "husk" (see shell (n.)).
But early prominence in southwestern texts suggests rather origin from a Dutch or Low German cognate (such as Dutch schol "turf, piece of ice," but the sense of "head bone framework" is wanting). Derivation from Old French escuelle "bowl" seems unlikely on grounds of sound and sense. An Old English word for skull was heafod-bolla. Latin cranium also is glossed at least once in Middle English as braynpanne.
skull-cap (n.)
also skullcap, "cap fitting closely to the head," 1680s, from skull (n.) + cap (n.).
skunk (v.)
"to completely defeat (in a game of cards, billiards, etc.)," especially "to shut out from scoring," 1831, in reference to not getting a king in the game of checkers, from skunk (n.). Related: Skunked; skunking.
skunk (n.)
common weasel-like mammal of North America that emits a fetid odor when threatened, 1630s, squunck, from a southern New England Algonquian language (perhaps Massachusett) word, from Proto-Algonquian */šeka:kwa/, from */šek-/ "to urinate" + */-a:kw/ "fox" [Bright].
Among Europeans, who sometimes called it after their polecat, the skunk is one of the earliest noted and described of the North American animals. Sagard-Théodat's "Histoire du Canada" (1636) introduced it to the naturalists as "enfans du diable, que les Hurons appelle Scangaresse, ... une beste fort puante," etc.
Eighteenth-century Jesuit missionary Martin Dobrizhoffer, who tangled with one, wrote, "Had I a hundred tongues I should think them all insufficient to convey an adequate idea of the stench" and concluded that "Europe may be congratulated upon her good fortune in being unacquainted with this cursed beast" ["An Account of the Abipones," as translated from the Latin by Sara Coleridge, the poet's daughter].
Its fur has been marketed as Alaska sable. As an insult, "contemptible person," attested from 1841. Skunk cabbage, which grows in moist ground in the U.S. and gives of a strong pungent odor when bruised, is attested from 1751; earlier was skunkweed (1738).
skunky (adj.)
"like a skunk," especially "smelling like a skunk," by 1852, from skunk (n.) + -y (2). Earlier was skunkish (1831). As a noun, a nickname of a skunk, skunky is by 1833.
sky (n.)
mid-13c. (c. 1200 as a surname), skie, sci, skei, "a cloud," from Old Norse sky "cloud," from Proto-Germanic *skeujam "cloud, cloud cover" (source also of Old English sceo (Middle English sceu) "the sky, the heavens," Old Saxon scio "cloud, region of the clouds, sky;" Old High German scuwo, Old English scua, Old Norse skuggi "shadow;" Gothic skuggwa "mirror"), from PIE root *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal."
The meaning "upper regions of the air; region of clouds, wind, and rain; the heavens, the firmament" is attested from c. 1300; it replaced native heofon in this sense (see heaven). In Middle English, the word can still mean both "cloud" and "heaven," as still in the skies (c. 1300), originally "the clouds."
Sky-high "as high as the sky" is from 1812; optimistic phrase the sky's the limit is attested from 1908. Sky-writing is from 1922. Sky-diving "sport or activity of jumping from an aircraft and free-falling before landing by parachute" is attested from 1959 (sky-diver by 1961; sky-dive (v.) by 1965).
sky (v.)
"to raise or throw toward the skies," 1802, from sky (n.). By 1865 in reference to paintings hung near the ceiling in an exhibit. Related: Skyed; skyer; skying.
sky-blue (adj.)
"of a luminous blue suggesting sky color" (but often very unlike it), by 1738, from sky (n.) + blue (n.). Sky-colored is attested from 1580s; simple sky for "sky-blue" is from 1660s. Compare cerulean.
sky-clad (adj.)
also skyclad, "naked, clothed in space," by 1870, in reference to Jains, from sky (n.) + clad. OED says "esp. in Witchcraft," but perhaps translating Sanskrit digam-bara "having the four quarters for clothing;" sky-clothed translating the Sanskrit term is attested by 1924; clad with space is from 1883. Earlier sky-clad is used in poetry, etc., of rocks or mountains open to the sky (18c.).
skyey (adj.)
"like the sky," c. 1600, from sky (n.) + -y (2). First attested in Shakespeare, who elsewhere used skyish. Sky-like is attested from 1590s.
skyhook (n.)
also sky-hook, "imaginary device to hold things up," 1915, originally aviators' jargon, from sky (n.) + hook (n.). Applied from 1935 to helicopters, balloons, etc. used as actual device for lifting things off the surface.
skyjack (v.)
"to hijack an airplane," by August 1961 in U.S. newspapers, apparently coined in headlines in New York Mirror and others, from sky (n.) + second element abstracted from hijack (q.v.).
Related: Skyjacked; skyjacking; skyjacker (1961).
Skylab (n.)
name of a U.S. space program, the name first attested 1970; the thing launched 1973, abandoned 1974, fell to earth 1979. From sky (n.) + lab (n.).
skylark (n.)
also sky-lark, a popular name of the common European lark, 1680s, from sky (n.) + lark (n.1). So called because it sings as it mounts skyward in flight.
skylark (v.)
also sky-lark, "to frolic or play, engage in boisterous fun," 1809, originally nautical, in reference to "wanton play about the rigging, and tops," probably from skylark (n.), and influenced by lark (n.2). The source and the influence might be the reverse. Related: Skylarked; skylarking.
skylight (n.)
also sky-light, 1670s, "light from the sky," from sky (n.) + light (n.). The meaning "small window or opening in a roof or ceiling to admit light" is recorded from 1680s. Sky-lit (adj.) is attested by 1923.
skyline (n.)
also sky-line, "horizon; place where the sky and the earth, or objects on it, seem to meet," 1824, from sky (n.) + line (n.). Originally often in reference to paintings.
sky-pilot (n.)
by 1877 as a slang term for a clergyman, from sky (n.) + pilot (n.). Often, but not originally, a sailor's term for a navy chaplain or any who has spiritual charge of seamen. Also "a balloonist" (by 1854).
skyrocket (n.)
1680s, type of firework that flies high, from sky (n.) + rocket (n.2). The verb, in the figurative sense of "to rise abruptly and rapidly" (often with suggestion of "and then explode and vanish") is attested from 1895. As rhyming slang for "pocket," by 1879.
skyscraper (n.)
also sky-scraper, "very tall urban building," 1888, in a Chicago context, from sky (n.) + agent noun of scrape (v.). Used earlier for any thing which reaches or extends far up, such as "ornament atop a building" (1883), "very tall man" (1857), "high-flying bird" (1840), "light sail at the top of a mast" (1794), and the name of a racehorse (1789). Compare cognate French gratte-ciel, from gratter "to scrape" + ciel "sky;" German Wolkenkratzer, from Wolke "cloud" + Kratzer "scraper."
slab (n.)
early 14c., slabbe, "large, flat mass," thick enough not to be pliable, a word of unknown origin, possibly related to Old French escopel, escalpe "thin fragment of wood," which according to Klein is possibly a Gaulish word (compare Breton scolp, Welsh ysgolp "splinter, chip"). But OED rejects this on formal grounds.
In early use in English of iron, later of wood, stone, etc. The sense of "outer cut of a tree or log sawn up into planks or boards" is by 1570s. The meaning "rectangular block of pre-cast concrete used in building" is from 1927. Slab-sided is "having flat sides like slabs," hence "tall and lank" (1817, American English).
slabber (v.)
"drivel, let saliva or other liquid drop from the mouth carelessly," 1570s, probably from similar words in Dutch or Low German, perhaps Germanic frequentative forms, ultimately imitative. Compare slobber (v.), slubber. Related: Slabbered; slabbering.
slackness (n.)
"idleness, sloth, sluggishness, lack of diligence or energy," Middle English slaknesse, from Old English slæcnes "slowness, remissness, laziness;" see slack (adj.) + -ness.
slack (n.2)
"coal dust," mid-15c., sleck, a word of uncertain origin, probably related to Middle Dutch slacke, Middle Low German slecke "slag, small pieces left after coal is screened," which is perhaps related to slagge "splinter flying off metal when it is struck" (see slag (n.)).
slacks (n.)
"loose trousers," 1824, originally military, a plural formation from slack (n.1).
slack (adj.)
Middle English slak, of persons, "indolent, lazy;" also (from c. 1300), of things or parts, "loose, not tight or taut;" from Old English slæc "remiss, lax, characterized by lack of energy, sluggish, indolent, languid; slow in movement, gentle, easy," from Proto-Germanic *slakas (source also of Old Saxon slak, Old Norse slakr, Old High German slah "slack," Middle Dutch lac "fault, lack"), from PIE root *sleg- "be slack, be languid" (languid is an IE cognate of it).
As an adverb from late 14c. Slack-key in reference to guitar tunings with looser strings (1975) translates Hawaiian ki ho'alu. Slack water (n.) is from 1769 as "time when tide (high or low) is not flowing" (slake-water is from 1570s); as "part of a river behind a dam" by 1836, especially American English.
Formerly common in depreciative compounds such as slack-jawed (q.v.), slack-handed "remiss, negligent" (1670s). Slack-baked "baked imperfectly, half-baked" is from 1823; used figuratively from 1840. The 17c. had slack-hammed. Slack and slow was a Middle English alliterative pairing.
slack (n.1)
early 14c., "cessation" (of pain, grief, etc.), from slack (adj.).
The meaning "a cessation of flow in a current or tide" is from 1756; that of "still stretch of a river" is from 1825. The meaning "quiet period, lull, interval in activity," especially in reference to business, is by 1851.
The meaning "loose part or end" (of a rope, sail, etc.), having no stress upon it, is attested from 1794; hence the figurative senses in take up the slack (1930 figuratively) and slang cut (someone) some slack (1968).
slack (v.)
1510s, transitive, "to moderate, make slack," a back-formation from slack (adj.) after the original verb in this sense, slake (q.v.), veered into a specialized sense.
The intransitive meaning "be slack; be remiss, inactive, or idle; fail to exert oneself" is attested from 1540s; current use in this sense is probably a re-coining from c. 1904 (see slacker, and compare Old English slacful "lazy," sleacmodnes "laziness"). Related: Slacked; slacking.
slacken (v.)
1570s, "cause to become slower;" 1610s, intransitive, "become lax, remiss, or less energetic;" from slack (adj.) + -en (1). Formed after the sense specialization of slake (v.). Related: Slackened; slackening.
slacker (n.)
agent noun from slack (v.), popularized from 1994, but the meaning "person who shirks work or avoids exertion" dates to 1897; agent noun from slack (v.). In earlier use also slackster (1901). Compare Old English sleacornes "laziness," which is not, however, from an agent noun. Related: Slackerly; slackerish. To slack off is by 1806 as "relieve the tension of." Slackener "one who or that which slackens" (transitive) is by 1815.
slack-jawed (adj.)
1882, "over-talkative," from slack-jaw (n.) "impertinent language" (1797), from slack (adj.) + colloquial jaw "rude talk, abusive clamor" (1748; see jaw (n.)). The meaning "open-mouthed and speechless" from astonishment, stupidity, etc., is attested from 1905, with more of the literal sense of jaw (n.). See slack (adj.) for similar compounds.
slackly (adv.)
"in a negligent manner, without enthusiasm or energy," Middle English slakli, from Old English slæclice; see slack (adj.) + -ly (2).
slag (v.)
"denigrate," by 1971, perhaps from slag (n.) in a secondary slang sense of "worthless person" (1788). Related: Slagged; slagging.
slag (n.)
"refuse matter from smelting," 1550s, from Middle Low German slagge (German Schlacke) "splinter flying off when metal is struck," related to Old High German slahan "to strike, slay" (see slay (v.)).
slay (v.)
Middle English slēn, "strike, beat, strike so as to kill, commit murder," from Old English slean "to smite, strike, beat," also "to kill with a weapon, slaughter" (class VI strong verb; past tense sloh, slog, past participle slagen), from Proto-Germanic *slahanan "to hit" (source also of Old Norse and Old Frisian sla, Danish slaa, Middle Dutch slaen, Dutch slaan, Old High German slahan, German schlagen, Gothic slahan "to strike"). The Germanic words are said to be from PIE root *slak- "to strike" (source also of Middle Irish past participle slactha "struck," slacc "sword"), but, given certain phonetic difficulties and that the only cognates are Celtic, Boutkan says the evidences "point to a North European substratum word."
Modern German cognate schlagen maintains the original sense of "to strike."
It is attested by late 12c. as "destroy, put an end to." The meaning "overwhelm with delight" (mid-14c.) preserves one of the wide range of meanings the word once had, including, in Old English, "stamp (coins); forge (weapons); throw, cast; pitch (a tent), to sting (of a snake); to dash, rush, come quickly; play (the harp); gain by conquest."
slay (n.)
"instrument on a weaver's loom to beat up the weft," Middle English sleie, from Old English slæ, slea, slahae "a weaver's reed," from root meaning "strike" (see slay (v.)), so called from "striking" the web to compress it. Hence also the surname Slaymaker "maker of slays."
slain (adj.)
"that has been killed," early 13c., from Old English (ge)slegen, past participle of slean "to smite, strike, beat" (see slay (v.)). The noun meaning "those who have been slain" is attested from mid-14c.
slake (v.)
Middle English slaken, from late Old English sleacian, slacian "become slack or remiss; relax an effort" (intransitive); "delay, retard" (transitive), from slæc "lax" (see slack (adj.), and compare Middle Dutch, Middle Low German slaken).
The transitive sense of "make slack, loosen" (ropes, a bridle, etc.) is from late 12c. The sense of "allay, diminish in force or intensity, quench, extinguish" is from late 13c. in reference to fire, c. 1300 in reference to thirst, hunger, desire, wrath, lust, etc. The notion is "make slack or inactive." Related: Slaked; slaking.
slalom (n.)
downhill zig-zag obstacle race in skiing, 1921, from Norwegian slalam "skiing race," literally "sloping track," from sla "slope" + lam "track" (related to Norwegian laan "a row of houses;" compare lane).
slam (n.2)
"a winning of all tricks in a card game," used especially in whist, 1650s, earlier the name of a card game (also called ruff), 1620s, of obscure origin.
The grand slam in bridge is recorded by 1892; it was used earlier in related card games (by 1800); the figurative sense of "complete success" is attested by 1920. The baseball sense of "home run with the bases loaded" is by 1935, probably a natural extension from the card game sense, with suggestion of slam (n.1). It also was the name of a brand of golf clubs in the 1920s and '30s.
slam (v.)
1690s, "to beat, slap;" 1775, "shut (a door, window, book, etc.) with force," from slam (n.1). The meaning "throw or push with force" is from 1870. The sense of "say uncomplimentary things about" is from 1916. Related: Slammed; slamming.
slam (n.1)
"a severe blow," 1670s, probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian slamre, Swedish slemma "to slam, bang") of imitative origin. The meaning "a violent closing of a door" is from 1817. The meaning "an insult, put-down" is from 1884.
Slam-bang (adv.) "suddenly, violently, noisily" is by 1806 (earlier slap-bang, 1785). Slam-dunk in basketball is from 1976 (see dunk (v.)); early use often in reference to Julius "Dr. J" Erving. Slam-dance (v.) is attested by 1987 (slam by itself in this sense is recorded from 1983).
slammer (n.)
"jail, prison," 1952, perhaps from earlier U.S. slang sense of "door" (by 1943), agent noun from slam (v.). As "one who slams," from 1892.
slanderous (adj.)
c. 1400, sclaundrous, in reference to words, etc., "defamatory, characterized by scandal," also "insulting, disrespectful," from slander + -ous. Compare Old French esclandreux. Related: Slanderously; slanderousness.
slander (n.)
late 13c., sclaundre, "state of impaired reputation; disgrace or dishonor;" c. 1300, "a false tale or report spread maliciously; the fabrication and dissemination of false tales to discredit someone," from Anglo-French esclaundre, Old French esclandre "scandalous statement," alteration ("with interloping l" [Century Dictionary]) of escandle, escandre "scandal," from Latin scandalum "cause of offense, stumbling block, temptation" (see scandal).
It is attested from mid-14c. as "action or situation that brings shame or disgrace;" late 14c. as "a bad situation, evil action" and in reference to a person causing such a state of affairs.