/skɪl/, [skɪɫ], [skɪo̯]
OriginFrom Middle English skill, skille (also schil, schile), from Old Norse skil (“a distinction, discernment, knowledge”), from Proto-Germanic *skilją (“separation, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skel (“a separation, boundary, divide”), Swedish skäl (“reason”), Dutch verschil (“difference”) and schillen (“to separate the outer layer (schil) from the product”, verb).
- countable, uncountableA capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.
“Where did you pick up that skill?”
“With great skill, she navigated through the tricky passage.”
“Doing that coaching course not only taught me useful skills on the field, but also some important life skills.”
- countable, obsolete, uncountableDiscrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause.
“Him so I sought, and so at last I fownd
Where him that witch had thralled to her will,
In chaines of lust and lewde desyres ybownd
And so transformed from his former skill,
That me he knew not, nether”
“Methinks I should know you, and know this man;
Yet I am doubtful; for I am mainly ignorant
What place this is; and all the skill I have
Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
Where I did lodge l”
- countable, obsolete, uncountableKnowledge; understanding.
“And Howell Dha shall goodly well indew
The salvage minds with skill of just and trew;”
“[…] This desert soil
Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold;
Nor want we skill or art from whence to raise
Magnificence […]”
“'I kenna whatna man ye are,' he says, 'but ye have the skill of lassies' hearts. Tell me truly, is there no way to win her to common love?'”
- countable, obsolete, uncountableDisplay of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address.
“Richard was well ſtored with men, the bones; and quickly got money, the ſinews of warre; by a thousand Princely ſkills gathering ſo much coin as if he meant not to return, becauſe looking back would u”
- UK, slangGreat, excellent.
“Well, unfortunately for you, my dearest Waggipoos, I'm much more skill than you!”
“This game is skill. Remember that because it's going to sound really complicated.”
“And I am skiller than you.”
- transitiveTo set apart; separate.
- dialectal, transitiveTo discern; have knowledge or understanding; to know how (to).
“I cannot skill of these Thy ways […]”
- Northern-England, Scotland, dialectal, rare, transitiveTo know; to understand.
“As for the virginals I have none here that skill of them, except the young lord.”
“17th century, Isaac Barrow, “On Industry in Our Particular Calling as Scholars,”
[…] to skill the arts of expressing our mind and imparting our conceptions with advantage, so as to instruct or persuad”
- intransitiveTo have knowledge or comprehension; discern.
- intransitiveTo have personal or practical knowledge; be versed or practised; be expert or dextrous.
- archaic, intransitiveTo make a difference; signify; matter.
“So then the whole scripture of God, being true, whence soever this be delivered and gathered, it skilleth not […]”
“[…] I should have given’t you to-day morning, but as a madman’s epistles are no gospels, so it skills not much when they are delivered.”
“What skills it, if a bag of stones or gold
About thy neck do drown thee?”
- To spend acquired points in exchange for skills.
Formsskills(plural) · skil(alternative, obsolete) · skiller(comparative) · skillest(superlative) · skills(present, singular, third-person) · skilling(participle, present) · skilled(participle, past) · skilled(past)