skewer 
and repartee, met in the measured Held, to p;irt bleeding, 
or perhaps not to part, but to fall mutually skeu-ered 
through with iron. Cnrlyle, French Rev., II. iii. 3. 
skewer-machine (sku'er-ma-shen"), .A 
wood-working machine for roughly shaping or 
for finishing skewers from wooden blocks. In 
the former case the skewers are finished by 
a skewer-pointing machine. 
skewer-WOOd (sku'er-wud), . Same as yi/v'c/.- 
timber. [Prov. Eng.] 
skew-gee (sku"je'), a. Crooked; skew; squint. 
Also used as a noun : as, on the skew-gee. [Col- 
loq.] 
skewing (sku'ing), n. [Verbal n. of skew, -.] 
In gilding, the process of removing superfluous 
gold-leaf from parts of a surface, and of patch- 
ing pieces upon spots where the gold-leaf has 
failed to adhere. It is performed by means of a 
brush, and precedes burnishing. E. H. Knight. 
Also spelled skuinij. 
Skew-symmetrical (sku'si-met"ri-kal),fl. Hav- 
ing each element equal to the negative of the 
corresponding element on the other side. 
skewy (sku'i), a. [< si-en- + -y 1 .] Skew. Hal- 
liwell. [Prov. Eng.] 
ski, . Same as skee. 
skiagraphy (ski-ag'ra-fi), n. Same as sciagra- 
phy. 
skiascopy (ski'a-sko-pi), n. [Also sciascopy; < 
Gr. OKta, shadow, + -O-KOTT/O, < anoireiv, view.] 
Shadow-test: a method of estimating the re- 
fraction of an eye by throwing into it light 
from an ophthalmoscopic mirror, and observ- 
ing the movement which the retinal illumina- 
tion makes on slightly rotating the mirror. 
Also called keratoscopy, retinoscopy, koroscopy, 
pupilloscopy, retinoskiascopy. 
Skice (skis), v. i. [Alaom#0; origin obscure.] 
To run fast; move quickly. [Prov. Eng.] 
They skise a large space, & seeme for to flie withal, and 
therefore they cal them . . . the flying squirrels. 
Hakhiyt's Voyages, I. 479. 
Up at five a'Clock in the morning, and out till Dinner- 
time. Out agen at afternoon, and so till Supper-time. 
Skise out this away, and arise out that away. (He's no 
Snayle, I assure you.) Brumf, Jovial Crew, iv. 
skid 1 (skid), n. [Also skeed; < Icel. skidJi = Sw. 
skid = Dan. skid = AS. scid, E. shide, a billet of 
wood, etc. : see sltide, of which skid is an unas- 
sibilated (Scand.) form. Cf. skidor, skee.] 1. 
Naut. : (a) A framework of planks or timber 
fitted to the outside of a ship abreast of the 
hatches, to prevent injury to the side while car- 
go is hoisted in or out. Boat-ilrids are planks fitted 
to the outside of a ship abreast of the boat-davits, to keep 
the side from being chafed when the boats are lowered or 
hoisted, (ft) A strut or post to sustain a beam or 
deck, or to throw the weight of a heavy object 
upon a part of the structure able to bear the 
burden, (c) One of a pair of timbers in the 
waist to support the larger boats when aboard. 
2. A log forming a track for a heavy moving 
object; a timber forming an inclined plane in 
loading or unloading heavy articles from trucks, 
etc. 3. One of a number of timbers resting on 
blocks, on which a structure, such as a boat, is 
built. 4. A metal or timber support for a can- 
non. 5. One of a pair of parallel timbers for 
supporting a ban-el, a row of casks, or the like. 
6. The brake of a crane. 7. A shoe or drag 
used for preventing the wheels of a wagon or 
carriage from revolving when descending a hill ; 
hence, a hindrance or obstruction. Also called 
skid-pan. 
But not to repeat the deeds they did, 
Backsliding in spite of all moral skid, 
If all were true that fell from the tongue, 
There was not a villager, old or young, 
But deserved to be whipp'd, imprison'd, or hung. 
Hood, Tale of a Trumpet. (Davies.) 
skid 1 (skid), t'.; pret. and pp. skidded, ppr. skid- 
ding. [< skidl, .] I. trans. 1. To place or 
move on a skid or skids. 
The logs are then skidded by horses or oxen into skid- 
ways, which hold from one to two hundred. 
Scribner's May., IV. 655. 
2. To support by means of skids. 
All logs, ... as they are brought in, unless stacked at 
once, should be blocked or skidded off the ground, as a 
temporary measure. Laslett, Timber, p. 318. 
3. To check with a skid, as wheels in going 
down-hill. Dickens. 
H. intrans. To slide along without revolving, 
as a wheel : said also of any object mounted on 
wheels so moving. 
When the car was skidding it could be brought to a stop 
on grade by closing the current and re energizing the mag- 
nets. Elect. Rev. (Amer.), XVI. 7. 
The rider being directly over his pedals, and the driving 
wheel not skidding. Bury and Hillur, Cycling, p. 361. 
5670 
skid 2 (skid), c. i.; pret. and pp. skidded, ppr. 
skidding. A variant of scud. 
The Dutch ladies . . . ran sKddm^down the aisle of the 
chapel, tip tap, tip tap, like frightened hares. 
Mme. ll'AMay, Diary, VII. 141. (Davies.) 
skiddar, . See skidor. 
skiddaw (skid'a), w. Same as kiddaw. 
Skiddaw slates. See slate 2 . 
skidder(skid'er), . [<A'/rf 1 + -er 1 .] One who 
skids, or uses a skid. 
The skidders haul the logs to the pile. 
The Wisconsin Pineries, New York Evangelist, March 8, 
Skider (ski'der), H. [CLskee.'} A skate. [Prov. 
Eng.] 
skid-pan (skid'pan), . Same as skid 1 , 7. 
skiet, n. An obsolete form of sky 1 . 
skiey, n. See ski/ei/. 
skiff 1 (skif), M. [< OF. engulf, < MHG. skif, scliif, 
G. schiff, a boat, ship, = E. ship : aeeship.] If. 
Formerly, a small sailing vessel resembling a 
sloop. 
Olauus fled in a little */,///; vnto his father in law the earl 
of Rosse. Hokiuyt's Voyages, I. 14. 
2. Now, a small boat propelled by oars. 
Our captain went in his nki/ aboard the Ambrose and 
the Neptune. Winthrop, Hist. New England, I. 8. 
Cod-seine Skiff, a small boat engaged in cod-seining, or 
attending the cod-seiners. 
skiff 1 (skif), !. t. [< skiff 1 , .] To sail upon or 
pass over in a skiff or light boat. [Rare.] 
They have skiff'd 
Torrents whose roaring tyranny and power 
I' the least of these was dreadful. 
Fletcher (and another), Two Noble Kinsmen, i. 3. 
Skiff 2 (skif), . [< Icel. skeifr = Sw. skef= Dan. 
skjxv = D. sclieef = G. scliief = North. Fries. 
skiaf, oblique. Cf. sfcewl.] Oblique; distort- 
ed; awkward. HalKweU. [Prov. Eng.] 
skiff-handed (skif'hand-ed), . Awkward in 
the use of the hands; unable to throw straight. 
[Prov. Eng.] 
skiffling (skif 'ling), . [Verbal n. of 'skiffle, r. ; 
origin obscure.] In stone-cutting, the operation 
of knocking off the rough corners of ashler in 
the preliminary dressing ; knobbing. . H. 
Knight. 
skiftt, n. A Middle English form of shift. 
skilder (skil'de.r), r. i. Same as skelder. 
skilful (skil'ful), a. [Also skillful; early mod. 
E. skilfull; < ME. skilful, skylfull, scelrol; < skill 
+ -//.] If. Having reason ; endowed with 
mind; thinking; rational. 
A skylfull beeste than will y make, 
Anir my shappeand my Hknesse. 
York Plays, p. 15. 
2f. Conforming to reason or right ; reasonable; 
proper. Ayenbite of Imcyt (E. E. T. S.), p. 169. 
Al wol he kepe his lordes hir degree, 
As it is right and nkil/iil that they be 
Enhaunced and honoured and most dere. 
Chaucer, Good Women, 1. 385. 
3. Having trained and practised faculties; pos- 
sessing practical ability ; well qualified for ac- 
tion; able; dexterous; expert. 
At conseil & at nede he was a skUfulle kyng. 
Bob. of Brunne, p. 311 
Be yare in thy preparation, for thy assailant is quick, 
skilful, and deadly. Shak., T. N., iii. 4. 245. 
4. Having ability in a specified direction; 
versed; experienced; practised: followed by a 
qualifying phrase or clause. 
Of perill nought adrad, 
Ne skilfull of the uncouth jeopardy. 
Spenser, F. Q., VI. T. 16. 
Human pride 
Is skilful to invent most serious names 
To hide its ignorance. Shelley, Queen Hub. vii. 
5. Displaying or requiring skill ; indicative of 
skill; clever; adroit: as, a skilful contrivance. 
Of skilfull industry. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartae's Weeks, ii., Eden. 
The skilful devices with which the Romans, in the first 
Punic War, wrought such wholesale destruction on the 
Carthaginian fleets. J. Fiske, Evolutionist, p. 207. 
=Syn. 3. Dexterous, Expert, etc. (see adroit), adept, con- 
versant, proficient, accomplished, qualified, intelligent, 
masterly. 
skilfully (skil'ful-i), adv. [Also skillfully; < 
ME. skilfully, skillfully, skillfully, skelvolliclie ; < 
skilful + -ly*.~\ In a skilful manner. Especially 
(at) With reason, justice, or propriety ; reasonably. 
In othre guode skele and clenliche and ekeluolliche. 
Ayenbite of Inuryt (E. E. T. S.), p. 6. 
Me thynketh thus, that neither ye nor I 
Oghte half this wo to maken skilfully. 
Chaucer, Troilus, iv. 1265. 
(b) With nice art ; cleverly ; adroitly ; dexterously. 
Sing unto him a new song ; play skilfully with a loud 
noise. Ps. \\.\iii 3. 
skill 
Thou art an old love-monger, and speakest skilfully. 
Shak., L. L. L., ii. 1. 253. 
skilfulness (skil'ful-nes), n. [Also WI(fttJne8 , 
< ME. skylfulnesse ; < skilful + -HCSS.] The 
quality of being skilful ; the possession of sldll 
or ability, in any sense of either word. 
Skylfulnesse, racionabilitas. Prompt. Pare., p. 45". 
So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart ; 
and guided them by the skUfulnese of his hands. 
Ps. IxxviiL 72. 
skilip (skil'ip), 71. [< Turk. Iskilip, or Iskelib, 
in Asia Minor, whence the name is said to be ap- 
plied to various fictitious substances.] Scam- 
mony prepared near Angora by mixing stun-h 
with the juice to the extent of 30 or 40 per cent, 
of the mass. This U combined with other impure scam- 
mony to form different grades of the drug. In London 
use the word appears to denote any highly adulterated 
scammony. 
skill (skil), v. [< ME. skilen (also assibilated 
schillen, schyllen, < AS. *scylian), < Icel. Sw. 
xkilja = Dan. UeiUe, separate, iinpers. differ, 
matter, = MD. sctiillen, schellen = MLG. schi-li-ii, 
separate ; akin to Sw. skala = Dan. skalle, peel, 
= Lith. skelti, cleave; prob. < T/ skal, separate, 
which appears also in scale 1 , shale*, shell, etc.] 
1. (raws. If. To set apart; separate. 
And skOedd ut all fra the folle 
Thurrh haliz lif and lare. 
Oniiuluiii, 1. KistlO. 
Schyllyn owte, or cullyn owte fro sundyr, Segrego. 
Prompt. Pan., p. 446. 
2. Hence, to discern ; have knowledge or un- 
derstanding (to) ; know how : usually with an 
infinitive. [Obsolete or prov. Eng.] 
There is not among us any that can skill to hew timber 
like unto the Sidoniaus. 1 Ki. v. 6. 
He cannot skill to keep a stock going upon that trade. 
Milton, Areopagitlca, p. 39. 
II. intrans. 1. To have perception or com- 
prehension ; have understanding ; discern : fol- 
lowed by o/or on. 
The! can knowe many thinges be force of clergie that 
we ne can no skyle on. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), i. 27. 
They that skill not of so heavenly matter, 
All that they know not, envy, or admire. Spenser. 
2f. To have personal and practical knowledge 
(of) ; be versed or practised ; hence, to be ex- 
pert or dexterous: commonly followed by of. 
These v cowde skile of bateile, and moche thel knewe of 
werre. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 666. 
Our Prentises and others may be appoynted and dinided 
euery of them to his office, and to that he can best skill of. 
Uakluyts Voyages, I. 299. 
As for herbs and philters, I could never skill of them. 
Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 494. 
3. To make difference ; signify; matter: used 
impersonally, and generally with a negative. 
[Obsolete or archaic.] 
I am the son of Apollo, and from his high seat I came, 
But whither I got It skills not, for Knowledge is my name. 
Peete, Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes. 
JEsop. What do we act to-day? 
Par. It skills not what. Massinger, Roman Actor, L 1. 
One word more I had to say, 
But /' skills not; go your way. 
Herrick. To the Passenger. 
Skill (skil), n. [< ME. si-ill, skil, skyl, skyll, 
skille, skylle, skile, skyle, skele (also assibilated 
schile, schil. scele, < AS. *scile), < Icel. skil, a dis- 
tinction, discernment, knowledge, = Sw. skal, 
reason, = Dan. skjel, a separation, boundary, 
limit, = MLG. schele = MD. schele, scheele, sepa- 
ration, discrimination: seethe verb.] If. The 
discriminating or reasoning faculty ; the mind. 
Another es that the skyll niekely be vssede in gastely 
thynges, als in medytacyons, and orysouns, and lukynge 
in hii'ly bukes. 
Hampole, Prose Treatises (E. E. T. S.), p. 13. 
For I am mainly ignorant 
What place this is ; and all the skill I have 
Remembers not these garments. 
5*0*., Lear, iv. 7. 66. 
2. Discriminative power; discernment; under- 
standing ; reason ; wit. 
Craftier skil kan i non than i wol kuthe. 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), 1. 1680. 
So feeble skill of perfect things the vulgar has. 
Spenser, V. Q., V. Hi. 17. 
Neither is it [liberty] compleatly giv'n but by them who 
have the happy skill to know what is grievance and unj nst 
to a people. Milton, Hist. Eng., ill. 
3f. Reasonableness; propriety; rightness; jus- 
tice ; proper course ; wise measure ; also, right- 
ful claim ; right. 
When it is ray sones wille 
That I come him to hit is skille. 
King Horn (E. E. T. 8.), p. 86. 
