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to skin

to skin

14 3.0
To scrape and damage the outer surface of the body by rubbing or falling
  • verb
  • /skɪn/
: raspar
  • And earlier, she felt bad, because she made me skin my knee.
  • skin a knee
  • skin a knuckle
  • skin an elbow

Examples

  • When you were a little kid, do you remember how often you used to fall down and skin your knee?

  • It's inevitable that in the process of learning, you're bound to fall down and skin your knee.

    Blog text (13)
  • Or did you skin your knee and it bled?

  • If you don't wear 'em, you skin your knees.

  • But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life, I skin my knees.

    Blog text (13)
  • As to its other advantages over a standard bicycle, you have weather protection, lights, visibility on the road, power to get up hills, and you can't fall over and skin your knee.

    Blog text (13)
  • Dodge's hand slips and he skins his knuckles.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Posy stumbles and skins her knee on the heating element, which leans against the door.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • When you were a little kid, do you remember how often you used to fall down and skin your knee?

  • You might bump against the wall or the rock, and you may skin your elbow or knee.

Synonyms

to scrape
vsto skin
55 1.6

To injure the skin by rubbing it against something rough

is often caused by rubbing or falling rather than cutting
to graze
vsto skin
35 3.7

Scrape the skin slightly and make a small wound

is often more general and can be more than a slight injury
to wound
vsto skin
12 2.3

To cut or hurt someone's body physically

is usually a milder surface injury from rubbing or falling rather than deep cutting
to scratch up
vsto skin
8 3.5

Make small cuts or marks on a surface by rubbing it

is used mainly for body injuries caused by rubbing or falling

Antonyms

726 1.2

To become healthy again after an injury, illness, or emotional pain

Idioms

38 7.4

To annoy someone a lot by small things another person does

skin and bones
  • Informal
12 5.6

Very thin with almost no fat or muscle

12 8.8

To scold or punish someone severely to show strong anger, not a real action

skin in the game
  • Informal
11 5.3

A personal stake in something like money or reputation

Cause a strong feeling of fear or disgust with a creepy physical feeling

It does not bother me if something happens

Completely wet, with water going through your clothes and reaching your skin

1 9.0

Not upset or harmed when something happens to someone else

1 9.4

To become less upset by criticism or problems

To feel comfortable and confident with who you are

Feeling calm and confident about who you are

1 7.2

To annoy someone again and again so they feel bothered

1 9.9

It does not matter to me

To be very surprised and move suddenly because of fear

to skin a flint
  • Archaic
9.9

To try very hard not to spend money even when you should

To be very unwilling to spend money, even small amounts

skin and grin
  • Informal
9.6

A friendly person who shows a big warm smile

Phrasal Verbs

1 4.9

To swim underwater using only a snorkel

1 4.1

A wound gets covered with new skin as it heals

9.9

To put drugs under the skin instead of into a vein

Compounds

51 1.7

The natural tone of a person's skin that usually comes from their parents

skin cancer
  • Specialized
34 2.5

A growth of skin cells that can be harmful, often after too much sun

skin cell
  • Specialized
17 2.7

A small living part of the skin that makes it and helps protect the body

15 1.6

A daily routine to keep your skin clean and healthy

skin graft
  • Specialized
13 3.5

A piece of healthy skin taken from one body part and placed on damaged skin to help it heal

9 4.7

Only on the surface and not deep inside

7 2.1

A crisp shell of potato peel fried or baked and topped with melted cheese and bacon

6 3.0

A red, itchy area on the skin that may have spots or bumps

6 3.5

Clothes that fit very closely to the body

6 3.3

A problem that affects the skin, causing redness or itching

5 2.4

Part of the body not covered by clothing

5 2.0

The outer layer of an animal's body that people remove and use for leather or fur

4 3.1

The spotted fur of a leopard or a fabric with the same spotted pattern

Red, itchy or sore skin after touching something that causes a reaction

skin test
  • Specialized
3 3.5

A medical test that puts a small amount of something on the skin to check for allergy or past infection

3 4.2

A very heavy outer covering on animals like elephants that protects them

skin flick
  • Offensive
2 9.7

A movie that shows sexual acts for adults

waste of skin
  • Offensive
2 9.9

A person seen as having no value or use

Smooth pale skin that looks delicate

skin disorder
  • Specialized
2 3.6

A health problem that makes the skin red, sore, or itchy

skin elasticity
  • Specialized
1 4.1

How well the skin stretches and goes back to its normal shape

1 3.5

Swimming underwater with a snorkel but without scuba gear

skin patch
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A small sticky pad with sensors that record or send health data

1 6.2

Change in the skin's tiny electrical activity when you feel stress or strong emotion

1 2.1

The outer peel that is left after you eat a banana

1 3.2

Soft, flexible skin that looks healthy

1 7.9

A bag made from animal skin that people carry to hold water

artificial skin
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A two-layer man-made material used to replace or cover damaged skin after burns

skin doctor
  • Informal
1 3.4

A doctor who treats skin problems like rashes and eczema

1 3.3

The fur and hide of a rabbit used to make clothes or soft craft items

skin tumor
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A growth on the skin that may be harmless or cancerous

skin eruption
  • Specialized
1 4.9

Raised red or swollen patches that suddenly appear on the skin

A condition that makes the skin red, sore, or itchy

Things you do to keep your skin safe from dangers like the sun or chemicals

skin patch
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A small sticky pad that slowly sends medicine into the body

1 5.6

An activity of swimming underwater using only a snorkel

A feeling you have on the surface of the skin

1 4.1

Small raised bumps on the skin when you are cold or scared

artificial skin
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A flexible man-made covering that senses touch and temperature on robot hands and replacement limbs

tuberculin skin test
  • Specialized
1 5.0

A test that checks if you have been exposed to tuberculosis bacteria by putting a small medicine under the skin

1 5.0

A person who swims underwater with a mask and fins for fun or sport

A problem that looks small but does not fix the real cause

1 6.3

A robe made from a leopard's fur worn by leaders at ceremonies

skin effect
  • Specialized
1 9.2

High-frequency electric current flows mostly near a wire's surface instead of through the whole wire

rabbit skin
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A strong glue made by boiling rabbit hide for sticking wood or canvas

1 4.4

Feelings you get through your skin, like touch and temperature

6.5

A change in the skin's electrical signal when someone feels stress or strong emotion

9.3

A person at high risk of skin cancer from too much sun

How Severe

gash
32 3.9
to lacerate
  • NSFW
6 7.5
cut
313 1.0
to skin
14 3.0
graze
5 3.4

Surface Forms

skin infinitive
skinned past
skinned past participle
skinning present participle
skins third person singular

Etymology

Skin meaning to scrape or injure comes from the idea of removing the outer 'cover', so when you skin your knee you have rubbed off the top layer of your skin.