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Glite Dictionary
water skin

water skin

1 7.9
A bag made from animal skin that people carry to hold water
  • noun
: odre
  • Before setting out for the day, she made sure to pack her water skin to stay hydrated in the heat.
  • filled water skin

So he goes and fills the water skins up, tries to get GED to drink, and he is tending to him when the dragon comes over.

Examples

  • In the arid region, farmers often rely on a water skin made from animal hide to carry their precious water.

  • So he goes and fills the water skins up, tries to get GED to drink, and he is tending to him when the dragon comes over.

    Gregory B. Sadler - That Philosophy Guy

  • One side of the cube opened; he shook a water skin out of it.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The priest opens the water skin and begins to pour a vial.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Louise squinted at the water skin rattling on the river, the place where the current ran hard.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The sun came up over the green hill and showed the plague-stricken water skin, ashy and suppurating.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • She found her water skin, drank a mouthful, and held it out.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • "They each shouldered the heavy pack and the water skin which was their share, then turned from the light that lay on the lands outside and plunged into the forest."

    Ezra (2024)

  • Having discarded everything else to lighten his load and give him more speed, he was carrying only the Sword of Shannara, a blanket, and a water skin.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The travelers filled their water skin before embarking on the long journey through the desert.

Synonyms

skin
vswater skin
58 8.5

A container made from animal hide used to carry water, wine, or oil

is more specific to carrying water in dry regions
water bottle
vswater skin
43 1.0

A container for carrying water to drink

is made from animal hide and suits carrying water in dry areas
waterskin
vswater skin
  • Archaic
1 9.3

A bag made from animal skin for carrying water

has identical meaning but is written as one word
sweat bag
vswater skin
8.6

A bag with tiny holes that cools water as it evaporates

is designed for carrying water rather than cooling it by evaporation

How Portable

canteen
27 2.6
bottle
∞ 1.0
water skin
1 7.9
jug
41 1.0
water tank
  • US
9 1.9

Surface Forms

water skin singular
water skins plural

Morphology

water + skin

The meaning is directly compositional: a 'skin' used to hold or carry 'water', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a water‑carrying container. Noun+noun compounding for objects (container + content) is common and cross‑linguistically familiar, making the expression immediately understandable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Water skin comes from a very simple object: people made a bag from animal skin to hold water on long, hot journeys. That's why 'water skin' means a skin container 'to carry water' in dry places.