skid
/skɪd/ (bre, ipa) · [skˈɪd] /skɪd/ (ame, ipa) · [skˈɪd] /ˈskid How to pronounce skid (audio)/ (ame, mw)
skid — verb
- skidpresent simple I / you / we / they
- skidshe / she / it
- skiddedpast simple
- skidding-ing form
1. When a vehicle or its wheels skid, they slide across a surface without gripping
When a vehicle or its wheels skid, they slide across a surface without gripping it, so the driver cannot steer or stop properly.
The delivery truck skidded on the wet road and hit a parked bicycle.
skid + on + surface (preposition pattern)
Javier braked too hard and felt the motorcycle skid sideways toward the ditch.
Mei-Lin's bicycle skidded on a patch of ice outside the library.
The car skidded across three lanes of traffic before it finally stopped.
Amara heard the tyres screech as the bus skidded down the steep hill.
- slide
more general — can be controlled (a child on a slide) or uncontrolled; 'skid' always implies loss of grip
- slip
typically for a person's foot losing grip briefly; not used for vehicles
- glide
smooth and often intentional movement; lacks the danger and loss of control of 'skid'
- aquaplane
specifically to skid on a wet road when a layer of water lifts the tyres off the surface
文法句型
skid + on/across/down + surface
skid + sideways/badly/violently
用法筆記
Subject is usually a vehicle, wheel, or tyre. For a person losing footing on a surface, use 'slip' instead.
常見錯誤
2. To fit a metal block or chain against a wheel so that it cannot turn, slowing or
To fit a metal block or chain against a wheel so that it cannot turn, slowing or stopping a vehicle — used especially on steep slopes or railway wagons.
The wagon driver looped heavy chains around the rear wheels to skid them before the steep mountain descent.
transitive: skid + wheels (apply a braking device)
Henrik skidded the timber cart's wheels with iron blocks before guiding it down the muddy logging trail.
The brakeman skidded the rear axle before the train started down the long slope.
- brake
much broader — covers all ways of slowing a vehicle, not just the specific skid device
- chock
placing a wedge under a wheel to prevent movement entirely; 'skid' allows controlled descent
- drag
a heavy metal shoe dragged behind a wheel; 'skid' can refer to the device itself or the action of applying it
文法句型
skid + wheel/vehicle
用法筆記
Technical term, mainly found in railway maintenance, heavy transport, and historical logging contexts. Not used in everyday driving.
3. To place heavy goods on low wooden or metal platforms and slide, drag, or haul t
To place heavy goods on low wooden or metal platforms and slide, drag, or haul them across a floor or surface — used in warehouses, factories, and logging.
The warehouse team skidded the heavy crates onto the loading dock.
transitive: skid + object + onto + location
Workers skidded the engine block across the workshop floor on two wooden planks.
The lumber crew skidded freshly cut logs down to the riverbank.
Nora skidded the heavy safe onto a wooden platform before using the forklift.
文法句型
skid + object + onto/across + location
用法筆記
Industrial and warehousing term. Distinguished from verb sense 1 (SLIDE OUT OF CONTROL) by its deliberate, controlled nature and its transitive use with a direct object.
skid — noun
1. A sudden, uncontrolled sliding movement of a vehicle — usually on a wet, icy, or
A sudden, uncontrolled sliding movement of a vehicle — usually on a wet, icy, or oily road — where the tyres lose their grip and the driver cannot steer or stop.
The taxi went into a skid on the icy bridge and spun around twice.
collocation: go into a skid
Nora's car hit oil on the road and went into a frightening skid.
Kwame managed to steer out of the skid just before reaching the junction.
Witnesses saw the lorry's skid marks stretch for nearly fifty metres.
The driver felt the wheels lose grip as the skid began on the wet roundabout.
用法筆記
Often used in the phrase 'go into a skid.' The dark marks left on the road after a skid are called 'skid marks.'
常見錯誤
2. One of a pair of long, flat metal or wooden bars fitted under a helicopter or li
One of a pair of long, flat metal or wooden bars fitted under a helicopter or light aircraft instead of wheels, allowing it to land on rough or soft ground without tipping over.
The helicopter touched down gently on its skids in the middle of the clearing.
plural: on its skids (aircraft landing gear)
The rescue chopper's skids barely touched the snow before the team jumped out.
Mechanics checked the skids for cracks after the rough mountain landing.
The pilot set the helicopter down on its skids right beside the hospital entrance.
- runner
a more general term for any bar that slides along a surface; 'skid' is the standard aviation term for helicopter landing gear
- landing gear
the entire undercarriage system of an aircraft; 'skid' refers specifically to the runner type rather than wheels
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural ('skids') when referring to aircraft landing gear. A helicopter typically has two skids, parallel to each other.
3. A low, flat platform — usually made of wood or metal — placed under heavy goods
A low, flat platform — usually made of wood or metal — placed under heavy goods so they can be lifted by a forklift, slid across a floor, or kept off damp ground.
The factory stored steel pipes on wooden skids to keep them off the damp floor.
collocation: on wooden skids
Diego stacked the boxes on a skid before the forklift arrived to move them.
collocation: stack on a skid (singular)
The delivery crew unloaded the skids of bottled water from the truck.
Ingrid set the heavy motor on low skids so the pallet jack could slide beneath it.
- pallet
has both a top and bottom deck; designed for forklift insertion from all four sides; a skid typically has only a single deck
- platform
a very general term; 'skid' is the specific industrial item with runners underneath
- stillage
a cage-like or framed platform for specific items; 'skid' is a flat, open platform
用法筆記
Distinguish from a pallet: a skid has only a top deck with no bottom boards, while a pallet has both top and bottom decks. In everyday warehouse language, the two terms are sometimes used loosely.
4. A heavy metal shoe or block, often attached to a chain, that is placed under a w
A heavy metal shoe or block, often attached to a chain, that is placed under a wheel to stop it from turning — used mainly on steep hills, railway wagons, and in heavy transport.
The railway workers placed a skid under the wagon's wheel on the sloping siding.
collocation: place a skid under + wheel
The driver checked the skids were secure behind the wheels before the quarry descent.
Sergei kept a heavy iron skid in the locomotive cab for emergency stops on the steep mountain railway.
The brakeman slid an iron skid under the rear wheel before the steep drop.
- drag
specifically a heavy shoe dragged behind or under a wheel; 'skid' can refer to the same device or be used more broadly
- chock
a wedge placed against a wheel to prevent any movement; a 'skid' allows some controlled sliding
- brake shoe
the part of a braking system that presses against the wheel; 'skid' is a cruder, external device placed under the wheel
用法筆記
Historical and technical term. In modern contexts, this device is more often called a 'drag' or 'brake shoe.' The related verb sense (verb/2, APPLY A BRAKE) describes the action of using this device.