S K I 
S K R 
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SKlRINTARSAN, a small island near the east coast of St. John the Baptist. Howard .—A reflection [from the Sax. 
Skye. Lat. 57. 19. N. long. 5. 53. W. paean, to cast forth. The word is now used for some jeer, 
SKIRKY, a cluster of small islands in Kenmare river, on or jibe, or covered imputation, thrown or cast upon any 
the south-east coast of Kerry; 5 miles east of Lamb’s Head. one. If. Tooke. 
To SKIRL, v. n. To scream out. Common in the North To SKIT, v. a. To cast reflections on. North. Grose. 
of England. Perhaps from shirl, our shrill. See Shrill. 
SKIRLAUGH, North, a township of England, East 
Riding of Yorkshire; 8 miles east of Beverley. 
SKIRLAUGH, South, a township of England, East 
Riding of Yorkshire; 8 miles north-north-east of Kingston- 
upon-Hull. 
SKIRLING, a parish of Scotland, in Peebleshire, about 
2\ miles in length, and nearly of the same breadth. Popu¬ 
lation 310. 
SKIRLINGTON, a township of England, East Riding of 
Yorkshire; 12 miles east-south-east of Great Driffield. 
SKI'RMISH, s. [from ys and cann, Welsh, the shout of 
war: whence ys garni and ysgarmes, old British words.— 
Junius deduces it from yyxoij.'q, Gr., a battle; others from 
the German verb schirmen, to skirmish. Our word ap¬ 
proaches nearest in form the ancient French skermuche, 
“ petit combat.”] A slight fight; less than a set battle.— 
When we shall wrastle with death, if we winne that skirmish 
we have enough. Potter. 
One battle, yes, a skirmish more there was 
With adverse fortune fought by Cartismand ; 
Her subjects most revolt. Philips. 
A contest; a contention.—There is a kind of merry war 
betwixt signior Benedick and her: they never meet but 
there’s a skirmish of wit. Shakspeare. 
To SKI'RMISH, v. n. [escarmoucher, Fr.] To fight 
loosely; to fight in parties before or after the shock of the 
main battle. 
Ready to charge, and to retire at will; 
Though broken, scatter’d, fled, they skirmish still. Fairfax. 
SKI'RMISHING, s. Act of fighting loosely.—Alarum : 
skirmishings. Talbot pursueth the Dauphin. Shakspeare. 
SKI'RMISHER, s. He who skirmishes. Barret. 
SKIRPENBECK, a township of England, East Riding 
of Yorkshire; 7 miles north-west of Pocklington. 
To SKIRR, v. n. To scour; to scud; to run in haste 
This word is used in some parts of the north for to slide 
swiftly. 
We’ll make them shirr away as swift as stones 
Enforced from the old Assyrian slings. Shakspeare. 
SKI'RRET, s. [sisarum, Lat. Camden calls skirrets, 
skirworts. RayJ] A plant.— Skirrets are a sort of roots 
propagated by seed. Mortimer. See Sium. 
SKIRT, s. [skoerte, Swedish ] The loose edge of a gar¬ 
ment ; that part which hangs loose below the waist.—It’s 
but a nightgown in respect of yours ; cloth of gold and cuts, 
side sleeves and skirts, round underborne with a blueish 
tinsel. Shakspeare. —The edge of any part of the dress.— 
A narrow lace, or a small skirt of ruffled linen, which runs 
along the upper part of the stays before, and crosses the 
breast, being a part of the tucker, is called the modesty- 
piece. Addison. —Edge; margin; border; extreme part. 
Though 1 fled him angry, yet recall’d 
To life prolong’d, and promis’d race, I now 
Gladly behold, though but his utmost skirts 
Of glory, and far off his steps adore. Milton. 
To SKIRT, v. a. To border; to run along the edge. 
Of all these bounds. 
With shadowy forests and with champions rich’d, 
With plenteous rivers and wide skirted meads, 
We make thee lady. Shakspeare. 
SKIRWITH, a hamlet of England, in Cumberland; 7f 
miles east-north-east of Penrith. 
SKIT, s. [skats, Icel. a frolicsome, or pert woman.—A 
light, wanton wench. The word is also used in Scotland.— 
[Herod] at the request of a dancing skit stroke off the head of 
SKITTISH, adj. [skyc, Danish; schew, Dutch. Dr. 
Johnson. —Su. Goth, slcyg, shy, as applied to a horse, from 
sky, to avoid, to shun. Sereniusi] Shy; easily affrighted. 
—A restiff skittish jade had gotten a trick of rising, starting, 
and flying out at his own shadow. L'Estrange. —Wanton; 
volatile; hasty ; precipitate. See Skit. 
He still resolv’d, to mend the matter, 
T’ adhere and cleave the obstinater; 
And still the skittisher and looser. 
Her freaks appear’d to sit the closer. Hudibras. 
Changeable ; fickle. 
Some men sleep in skittish fortune’s hall, 
While others play the ideots in her eyes. Shakspeare. 
SKITTISHLY, ado. Wantonly; uncertainly; fickly. 
Sherwood. —The beasts were very plump, and skittishly 
played as they passed by; not knowing whither they were 
driven. Situat. of Farad. 
SKITTISHNESS, s. Wantonness; fickleness. 
SKITTLES, s. [formerly keels or kayles, and kettle- 
pins. See Kayle. “ When shall our kittell-^ins return 
again into the Grecian skyttals ?" Sadler. —Ninepins. 
No more the wherry feels my stroke so true; 
At skittles, in a grizzle, can I play ? Wart on. 
SKLAVO-CHORI, a petty town of the Morea, in Greece, 
occupying the site of the ancient Amyclce, and situated at 
the junction of a small river with the Vasilipotamos or 
Eurotas. It is the see of a Greek bishop. 
SKLENO, or Glaserhay, a village of the north of 
Hungary. Here are some very hot mineral springs, and 
near them a cavern, also of extraordinary heat, without the 
slightest damp; 90 miles north-east of Presburgh. 
SKOG, a small town of Sweden, in the province of 
Helsingland, on the Ljusna-elf, about 12 miles from the 
gulf of Bothnia. 
SKONCE, s. [See Skonce.] Reinard ransacketh every 
corner of his wily skonce, and bestirreth the utmost of his 
nimble stumps to quit his coat from their jaws. Carew. 
SKOPELOS, an island of the Grecian archipelago, on 
the coast of Magnesia, to the east of Skiathi. Though small 
(only 30 miles in circumference), and of no great natural 
fertility, it is well cultivated, producing vines, olives, and 
other fruits, and contains no less than 12,000 inhabitants. 
SKOPELOS, the chief place of the foregoing island, 
situated on a small gulf of the eastern coast. It is built 
partly on an eminence advancing into the sea, and partly in 
a plain. It is the see of a bishop, has 12 churches or chapels, 
and several monasteries. Population about 5000. 
SKOPIA, a small town of European Turkey, in Bulgaria, 
district of Widdin. 
SKOTSCHAU, a small town of the Austrian states, in 
Moravia, on the Vistula. Population 1500; 50 miles west- 
south-west of Cracow. 
SKOUITIAS, a village of Albania, in the valley of Souli, 
situated in a narrow and difficult defile. 
SKREED, in Agriculture, provincially a border or narrow 
slip of land. 
SKREEN, s. [escran, escrein, Fr., which Minsheu 
derives from secerniculum, Lat. Nimis violenter ut solet, 
says Skinner, which may be true as to one of the senses; 
but if the first sense of skreen be a kind of coarse sieve or 
riddle, it may perhaps come, if not from cribrum, from 
some of the descendants of cerno. ]—A riddle or coarse sieve. 
—A skuttle or skreen to rid soil fro’ the corn. Tusser .— 
Any thing by which the sun or weather is kept off.—To 
cheapen fans or buy a screen. Prior. 
So long condemn’d to fires and screens. 
You dread the waving of these greens. 
Anojiytn. 
Shelter; 
