skins
skins — noun
- skinssingular
- skinsesplural
1. The soft tissue on the outside of a human or animal body, and also the thin peel
The soft tissue on the outside of a human or animal body, and also the thin peel of fruits and vegetables.
Samir's skin was still warm from sitting in the garden all afternoon.
The doctor checked the patient's skin for any unusual marks or rashes.
passive: check [possessive] skin for [condition]
Aylin has very fair skin that burns easily in summer sunlight.
Some snakes shed their skin several times during a single year.
The skin of an apple is full of fiber and vitamins.
常見錯誤
2. The outer covering taken from a dead creature, usually still carrying its fur or
The outer covering taken from a dead creature, usually still carrying its fur or hair, and later processed into leather or clothing.
The hunter brought the wolf's skin back to the village for drying.
Indigenous communities still use deer skin to make traditional drums.
[animal] skin to make [item]
The boutique sells handmade wallets and bags made from crocodile skin.
Kenji's grandmother showed him how to clean and soften animal skins by hand.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (BODY COVERING): this sense always refers to a removed animal pelt, not the living covering on a person or fruit.
常見錯誤
3. A thin outer layer covering the frame of a vehicle or building, for example an a
A thin outer layer covering the frame of a vehicle or building, for example an aircraft hull or the metal casing around a ship, which protects the interior.
The outer skin of the small aircraft was made of thin sheets of aluminium.
outer skin of [vehicle]
Engineers discovered tiny cracks in the ship's steel skin near the waterline.
The building's glass skin reflects sunlight and keeps the interior cool.
The protective skin around the satellite is designed to withstand extreme temperatures.
4. A fine solid layer that develops across the top of certain liquids after standin
A fine solid layer that develops across the top of certain liquids after standing for a while exposed to the air — for instance, the skin that covers hot milk as it cools, or the film that forms over paint in an open tin.
A thick skin formed on the paint after Léa left the can open overnight.
skin formed on [liquid]
Luca carefully lifted the skin off the top of his hot chocolate before drinking.
If you leave the glue pot open, a rubbery skin will develop on the surface.
The old varnish had a crinkled skin that showed it had dried out long ago.
用法筆記
Commonly used with liquids that thicken or dry when exposed to air: paint, glue, varnish, hot milk, custard. Not used for ice or frozen surfaces.
5. The colours, images, and graphic style that a person picks to show across their
The colours, images, and graphic style that a person picks to show across their phone or tablet display, which can be swapped for a different look at any time.
Ilan downloaded a new skin that shows a starry night sky on his phone screen.
download a new skin
The app lets you create your own custom skins for your tablet wallpaper.
Anong changed the skin on her laptop to match the autumn season colours.
Many websites offer free phone skins with movie or sports themes.
用法筆記
This sense is most common in informal technology contexts. The more formal term is 'theme' or 'wallpaper'.
6. A package of digital artwork that changes the look of a character, weapon, or ve
A package of digital artwork that changes the look of a character, weapon, or vehicle inside a computer game, without altering the way the game works.
Kofi spent his in-game coins on a rare dragon skin for his warrior character.
rare [type] skin for [character]
The new update added five different colour skins for the racing cars.
Eve spent an hour choosing the best weapon skin before starting the match.
Limited-edition holiday skins are only available for purchase during December.
用法筆記
Gaming skins are purely cosmetic and do not give the player any competitive advantage. The term is also used for virtual items that reskin the user interface of software applications.
常見錯誤
7. A person's own safety or continued existence when facing a threat; found mainly
A person's own safety or continued existence when facing a threat; found mainly in fixed sayings that describe protecting yourself from harm.
When the fire started, everyone was just trying to save their own skin.
save [possessive] own skin — protect oneself from danger
Andrew got out of the burning building by the skin of his teeth.
by the skin of [possessive] teeth — narrowly escape
The politician lied to protect his own skin during the investigation.
Wren jumped out of the way just in time and saved her skin.
用法筆記
This sense only appears in certain fixed expressions: 'save one's skin', 'protect one's skin', 'by the skin of one's teeth'. It is not used flexibly — you cannot say 'his skin was in danger' to mean 'his life was in danger'.
常見錯誤
skins — verb
- skinspresent simple I / you / we / they
- skinses3rd person singular
- skinsing-ing form
- skinsedpast simple
1. To take the outer covering off an animal, fruit, or vegetable, especially in ord
To take the outer covering off an animal, fruit, or vegetable, especially in order to cook or eat it.
Isabela learned how to skin a fish before cooking it for dinner.
skin + [animal] for cooking
The machine skins the potatoes quickly and neatly in just a few seconds.
Samir watched his uncle skin the deer they had hunted that morning.
You need a sharp knife to skin a rabbit properly without tearing the fur.
文法句型
skin + [animal/fruit]
用法筆記
For fruits and vegetables, 'peel' is more common in everyday cooking contexts. 'Skin' is more common for animals and fish.
常見錯誤
2. To rub off the top layer of your skin or of an object by scraping it across a co
To rub off the top layer of your skin or of an object by scraping it across a coarse surface, leaving a mark or a raw spot.
Aylin fell off her bike and skinned both knees on the rough pavement.
skin + [body part] on [rough surface]
Luca skinned his elbow when he slipped on the wet kitchen floor.
The movers skinned the sofa corner while carrying it through the doorway.
Kenji skinned his knuckles while fixing the loose pipe under the sink.
文法句型
skin + [body part]
skin + [object]
用法筆記
When referring to the human body, this sense describes minor injuries where the top layer of skin is rubbed off. It is less severe than 'cut' or 'wound'. Can also be used for damaging the surface of objects like furniture.
常見錯誤
skins — adjective
- skinspositive
- skinsercomparative
- skinsestsuperlative
1. Relating to magazines, films, or other media that feature nude people or explici
Relating to magazines, films, or other media that feature nude people or explicit sexual content; used only before a noun.
The corner convenience store sells skin magazines behind the counter in a brown wrapper.
skin magazine — a men's magazine with nude photos
The local cinema used to show old skin flicks from the nineteen seventies.
skin flick — a film with explicit sexual content
The city council passed a law banning skin publications from public display.
Isabela found a stack of old skin comics in her grandfather's attic.
- adult
more formal and widely used term for sexually explicit content
- pornographic
stronger and more formal term
- X-rated
refers to material officially classified as suitable only for adults
文法句型
skin + [noun]
用法筆記
This is an informal, slightly dated usage. It is almost always used before the nouns 'mag', 'magazine', 'flick', or 'film'. Avoid in formal writing. The more modern term is 'adult' (adult magazine, adult film).