skin
skin — noun
1. the natural protective surface on a person, animal, or piece of fruit — the oute
the natural protective surface on a person, animal, or piece of fruit — the outermost part of the body that you can feel and see.
Nila's skin turned red after she spent the whole morning at the beach without sunscreen.
collocation: skin + turn + colour
The skin of a banana changes from green to yellow as the fruit becomes ripe.
skin of [fruit]: typical object
Drinking enough water every day helped Jude keep his skin looking fresh and smooth.
A small cut on the skin usually heals by itself within a few days.
- human skin
- dry skin
- oily skin
- sensitive skin
- skin tone
- skin colour
- skin condition
2. the hide or fur stripped from a dead creature, ready to be turned into products
the hide or fur stripped from a dead creature, ready to be turned into products like coats, handbags, or drums.
The trader paid a fair price for the wolf skin that the hunter brought to the market.
Traditional African drums are often made with goat skin stretched tightly over a wooden frame.
material use: made with [animal] skin
Museum workers carefully treat animal skins to stop them from rotting over time.
Zola bought a handbag made of genuine snake skin during her trip to Vietnam.
- sheep skin
- snake skin
- animal skin
- raw skin
- cured skin
Usage Note
Frequently used in compounds like 'sheepskin,' 'snakeskin,' and 'calfskin' to name the source animal. When the hair or fur is still attached, 'pelt' or 'fur' is more common.
3. the outermost surface or casing of an object — for example, the wrapping around
the outermost surface or casing of an object — for example, the wrapping around a sausage, the metal panels of an aircraft, or a plastic sheath around a cable.
Christopher left the sausages on the grill too long, and their skins burst open.
Boat builders apply several coats of paint to form a tough waterproof skin over the wood.
collocation: form a skin over [object]
The outer skin of the aircraft is made from lightweight aluminium sheets.
outer skin of [vehicle/object]
A plastic skin around the cable keeps water from reaching the wires inside.
- outer skin
- protective skin
- metal skin
- plastic skin
- thin skin
Usage Note
Distinguish from noun sense 4 (LIQUID): this sense covers a solid outer layer on a physical object, not a film on a liquid surface.
4. a thin, flexible coating that develops on top of a liquid exposed to air, especi
a thin, flexible coating that develops on top of a liquid exposed to air, especially after a heated substance like milk or paint cools down.
Selim left the paint can open, and by morning a rubbery skin had formed on top.
collocation: a skin forms on [liquid]
Élise refused to eat the pudding because a thick skin had formed after it cooled down.
When you heat milk and let it cool, a thin skin of protein appears on the surface.
Stirring the soup every few minutes stops a skin from forming while it simmers.
negative: stop/prevent a skin from forming
- form a skin
- skin forms on
- thick skin
- thin skin
- skin on milk
- skin on paint
Usage Note
Frequently used with verbs like 'form,' 'develop,' or 'appear,' and often occurs in cooking contexts. Stirring prevents the skin from forming.
5. a set of colours, pictures, and patterns that a user can apply to change the loo
a set of colours, pictures, and patterns that a user can apply to change the look of the screen on a phone, tablet, or computer program.
Joon downloaded a new skin for his phone that shows a starry night sky on the home screen.
download a skin for [device]
Many messaging apps let you install custom skins to personalise the chat background.
Niran changed the skin of his music player to match his favourite band's album cover.
The app offers free skins that change colour depending on the time of day.
- download a skin
- install a skin
- custom skin
- free skin
- phone skin
- app skin
Usage Note
In technology contexts, 'skin' usually refers to the visual customisation layer, not hardware. The verb 'reskin' means to apply a new skin to software.
Common Mistakes
6. a custom visual style applied to a video-game character, weapon, or item, giving
a custom visual style applied to a video-game character, weapon, or item, giving it a different look without changing its abilities.
Manuela spent hours unlocking rare skins for her favourite character in the fighting game.
collocation: unlock / earn a skin
Players can buy limited-edition weapon skins during special seasonal events in the game.
The game studio released a new legendary skin that turns the hero into a golden warrior.
Lan traded her extra skins with another player to get the rare outfit she wanted.
- rare skin
- legendary skin
- character skin
- weapon skin
- unlock a skin
- buy a skin
- trade skins
Usage Note
In gaming, skins are purely cosmetic — they change appearance but do not affect gameplay or stats. Some games allow players to buy, earn, or trade them.
if you do something by the skin of your teeth, you succeed in doing it but only just, and you almost fail.
The Watanabe family escaped the flood by the skin of their teeth as the water reached their doorstep.
Jude passed the maths exam by the skin of his teeth with a score of exactly sixty per cent.
to annoy or irritate someone over a period of time.
The way Selim hums while working really gets under Niran's skin during meetings.
It's the small things, like leaving dirty cups on the desk, that get under Christopher's skin.
save your own skin
idiomto protect yourself from danger, criticism, or punishment, often by letting others take the blame.
When the project failed, each manager tried to save their own skin by blaming the other team.
Eitan saved his own skin by telling the truth before anyone else could point a finger at him.
have a thick skin
idiomto be able to accept criticism, insults, or rejection without being upset.
Comedians need to have a thick skin because not every audience member will laugh at their jokes.
Zola developed a thick skin after years of working in customer service and handling angry callers.
make your skin crawl
idiomto make you feel very frightened, disgusted, or uncomfortable.
The sight of hundreds of tiny spiders made Nila's skin crawl as she backed out of the shed.
Hearing someone scratch their nails down a blackboard makes Sophia's skin crawl every time.
To make someone feel annoyed or irritated.
His constant whistling really gets under my skin.
Why do you let your brother get under your skin?
To be very strongly attracted to someone, often in a romantic way.
Ever since they met, she has got him under her skin.
I can't stop thinking about you; you've got under my skin.
Used to say that a person does not care about something because it does not affect them negatively.
If he wants to quit, it's no skin off my nose.
She said it was no skin off her nose whether we stayed or left.
To suddenly move or jump because of a strong surprise or shock.
The loud bang made me jump out of my skin.
When the cat leaped out, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
To try to avoid harm or punishment, often by letting others suffer instead.
He lied to save his own skin, blaming his colleague.
The manager saved his neck by firing the intern.
Extremely thin, often in an unhealthy or unattractive way.
After months of illness, he was nothing but skin and bone.
The rescued cat was all skin and bone.
To have a personal stake or interest in the success of something.
Investors who have skin in the game make careful decisions.
Without skin in the game, she didn't care about the outcome.
a thick skin
idiomThe ability to not be easily upset by criticism or negative comments.
A politician needs a thick skin to handle harsh remarks.
With a thick skin, she ignored the online trolls.
a thin skin
idiomThe tendency to be easily hurt or upset by criticism or negative comments.
He has a thin skin and cries at the slightest criticism.
You need a thicker skin; a thin skin won't help in this job.
skin — verb
1. to remove the outer layer from a fruit, vegetable, or dead animal before cooking
to remove the outer layer from a fruit, vegetable, or dead animal before cooking, eating, or processing it.
Sophia skinned the apples before putting them into the pie filling.
The chef quickly skinned the salmon and removed all the bones with a sharp knife.
skin + fish / salmon / chicken
In some countries, butchers skin the rabbit before selling it at the market.
You should skin the tomatoes before making the sauce to get a smoother texture.
- skin a rabbit
- skin a fish
- skin a chicken
- skin a tomato
Grammar Patterns
skin + object (fruit, animal, vegetable)
Usage Note
For fruit and vegetables, 'peel' is more common in everyday English. 'Skin' is preferred for animals and fish, or when the outer layer is tougher.
Common Mistakes
2. to injure a part of your body by scraping it against a hard, rough surface, or t
to injure a part of your body by scraping it against a hard, rough surface, or to scratch the outer layer of an object in the same way.
Eitan skinned his knee when he tripped over the pavement on his way to school.
collocation: skin + body part (knee, elbow, knuckle)
Joon skinned his elbow badly while fixing the fence in the backyard.
The movers skinned the corner of the wooden table as they carried it through the door.
extended use: damage a non-living surface
Niran skinned both hands climbing the rough stone wall of the old castle.
- skin your knee
- skin your elbow
- skin your hand
- skin your knuckles
Grammar Patterns
skin + body part (knee, elbow, hand)
skin + object surface
Usage Note
When referring to people, this sense is about accidentally scraping the skin, not cutting deeply. The result is usually a graze or shallow wound.
skin — adjective
1. describing a magazine, film, or publication that is mainly about or shows naked
describing a magazine, film, or publication that is mainly about or shows naked bodies, often in a sexually explicit way.
The corner shop was fined for displaying skin magazines at the checkout counter where children could see them.
collocation: skin magazine
In the seventies, skin flicks were shown in small cinemas hidden away from the main streets.
collocation: skin flick (informal, dated)
The new streaming service announced it would not carry any skin content in its library.
The police raided the shop and seized boxes of skin DVDs from a back room.
collocation: skin + DVD / film / magazine
- skin magazine
- skin flick
- skin film
- skin content
- adult
the standard modern term for content intended for adults; broader and less crude than 'skin'
- explicit
describes content that shows sexual acts directly; used in formal ratings
- pornographic
formal and legal term; stronger and more judgmental than 'skin'
Grammar Patterns
skin + noun (magazine, film, flick)
Usage Note
This sense is informal and can be considered offensive or crude. It is used mostly to describe adult content from an older era. Modern terms like 'adult' or 'explicit' are more neutral.
skin — suffix
1. used after an adjective to form a compound that describes the quality, texture,
used after an adjective to form a compound that describes the quality, texture, or colour of a person's, animal's, or fruit's natural skin.
Mayumi is fair-skinned, so she wears sunscreen even on cloudy winter days.
pattern: [adjective]-skinned (colour)
Asher bit into a smooth-skinned apple and juice dripped down his chin.
pattern: [adjective]-skinned (texture of fruit)
Hana spotted a rough-skinned toad hiding under a damp log in the forest.
Beatrix has thin-skinned hands that bleed easily when she works in the garden.
pattern: [adjective]-skinned (thickness)
The thick-skinned farmer never complained about the thorns that scratched his arms.
- fair-skinned
- dark-skinned
- smooth-skinned
- rough-skinned
- thin-skinned
- thick-skinned
- tough-skinned
- light-skinned
Grammar Patterns
[adjective]-skinned
Usage Note
Common adjectives that combine with '-skinned' include colour terms (fair-, dark-, light-) and quality terms (thick-, thin-, smooth-, rough-, tough-, soft-). Unlike the noun sense 'animal skin' (noun/2), the suffix '-skinned' does not attach to material names — native speakers say 'a leather bag', not 'a leather-skinned bag.'
Common Mistakes
Word family
- skinlessadjectiveB2
- skinnyadjectiveB1
- skinnedadjectiveB2
- skinningnounC1
- skincarenounB1
- skinheadnounC1
- skin-tightadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Skin is the most general term for the outer covering of a living body, whether human, animal, or vegetable. Flesh refers to the soft muscular tissue beneath the skin, not the surface itself — you bite into an apple's flesh, not its skin. Hide is the thick skin of large animals such as cows or horses, especially when removed for tanning; it sounds industrial rather than biological. Pelt is the skin of a small, fur-bearing mammal (rabbit, fox, mink) with the fur still attached. Leather is the processed material after tanning, no longer recognisable as animal skin. In everyday use, shoppers buy 'leather boots' (the finished product), but a hunter brings home 'a deer hide' or 'a fox pelt.'
Common collocations
Nouns
- skin care
- skin tone
- skin colour
- skin type
- skin condition
- skin disease
- skin cancer
- skin irritation
Phrases
- skin and bones
- by the skin of your teeth
- jump out of your skin
- skin deep
Prepositions
- on the skin
- under the skin
- through the skin
- of the skin
Etymology
The word 'skin' comes from Old Norse 'skinn,' which meant animal hide or fur. It entered English during the Viking-age settlements in Britain, replacing the older English word 'hȳd' (hide) in many everyday uses. The original Norse sense of 'stripped-off animal covering' is preserved in noun sense 2 (ANIMAL PELT). By the 13th century, 'skin' had extended to mean the natural covering of a living body. The figurative and technology senses (liquid film, phone skin, game skin) developed much later, from the 19th to the 21st centuries, all building on the core idea of a thin outer layer.