skimmed
skimmed — 動詞
1. to fly or glide fast and close to a surface, staying near it but never letting a
掠過；貼面飛
快速貼著表面移動但不碰到
to fly or glide fast and close to a surface, staying near it but never letting any part touch it
The seagulls skimmed low over the harbour water, chasing the fishing boats.
海鷗低低地掠過港口的水面，追著漁船跑。
skim + over + surface (gliding close above)
Arjun watched a kingfisher skim across the pond before it shot upward into the trees.
Arjun 看著一隻翠鳥掠過池塘，接著往上竄進樹叢裡。
skim + across + surface
The speedboat skimmed along the calm bay, barely leaving a ripple behind it.
快艇貼著平靜的海灣疾駛，後面幾乎沒留下漣漪。
A small plane skimmed over the green fields before landing at the tiny airfield.
一架小飛機掠過綠色的田野，接著在那座小機場降落。
Dragonflies skimmed just above the still pond, their wings flashing in the afternoon sun.
蜻蜓貼著靜止的池面掠飛，翅膀在午後的陽光下閃著光。
文法句型
skim + across/over/along + surface
用法筆記
Subject is usually something light or fast (a bird, a boat, blowing dust) and the path is described with across/over/along. Distinguish from sense 4: here nothing touches the surface; in sense 4 you lift material off it.
2. to send a smooth, flat stone skidding low over water so it bounces off the top a
打水漂
把扁石頭擲過水面使它彈跳
to send a smooth, flat stone skidding low over water so it bounces off the top a few times before sinking
Benjamin skimmed a smooth pebble across the lake and counted seven bounces.
Benjamin 把一顆光滑的小石頭打過湖面，數到了七下彈跳。
skim + stone + across + water (bouncing throw)
The children spent the whole afternoon skimming stones from the river bank.
孩子們整個下午都在河岸邊打水漂。
plural subject; skim + stones
Yasmin showed her little brother how to skim a flat stone over the pond.
Yasmin 教她的小弟弟怎麼把扁石頭打過池塘。
Felipe picked up a thin grey pebble and skimmed it toward the far shore.
Felipe 撿起一顆薄薄的灰色石頭，朝對岸打了過去。
On the beach at dusk, two friends took turns skimming pebbles into the gentle waves.
黃昏的海灘上，兩個朋友輪流把石頭打進輕柔的浪裡。
- skip
American English often uses 'skip stones' for the same action
文法句型
skim + stone + across/over + water
用法筆記
The object is almost always a flat, smooth stone or pebble, and the goal is bounces on the water. Often written as 'skim stones' as a leisure activity.
3. to read a text fast, looking only for the main ideas and skipping the small deta
略讀；快速看
快速讀過只抓重點不看細節
to read a text fast, looking only for the main ideas and skipping the small details
Talia skimmed the long report on the train and noted only the key figures.
Talia 在火車上略讀那份很長的報告，只記下關鍵數字。
skim + text for main points
Before the meeting, Christopher quickly skimmed through the email to catch the deadline.
開會前，Christopher 快速略讀那封電子郵件，抓出截止日期。
skim through + text
With only ten minutes before class, Min skimmed the history chapter for the key dates.
離上課只剩十分鐘，Min 略讀了歷史那一章，抓出關鍵的年代。
The busy nurse skimmed the patient's notes between two shifts.
忙碌的護理師趁兩個班次之間略讀了病人的紀錄。
Élise skimmed the news headlines over breakfast and saved the full stories for later.
Élise 吃早餐時略讀了新聞標題，把完整內容留到之後再看。
- scan
scan is searching for one specific item; skim is grasping the overall gist
- glance through
even quicker and more casual than skim
- pore over
to read very slowly and with great attention
文法句型
skim + text
skim through + text
用法筆記
Often paired with 'through' and contrasted with reading carefully. Object is usually a piece of writing (a report, article, chapter, email). Common in study and work contexts where time is short.
常見錯誤
4. to take a solid or thick layer off the top of a liquid, or to take the best part
撇去；撈取
撇掉液體表面那層或取走最好的部分
to take a solid or thick layer off the top of a liquid, or to take the best parts of something for yourself
Dahlia skimmed the white foam off the top of the boiling soup with a spoon.
Dahlia 用湯匙把滾湯表面的白色泡沫撇掉。
skim + substance + off + liquid
The cook skimmed the fat from the gravy before pouring it over the meat.
廚師把肉汁上的油脂撇掉，才把汁淋到肉上。
skim + substance + from + liquid
Workers skimmed the thick oil off the polluted river after the spill.
外洩之後，工人把汙染河面上厚厚的油撇掉。
The manager was accused of skimming the best clients for his own private firm.
那名主管被指控把最好的客戶撈到自己的私人公司。
Alessia carefully skimmed the cream from the top of the fresh milk.
Alessia 小心地把新鮮牛奶表面的奶油撇起來。
文法句型
skim + substance + off/from + liquid
用法筆記
Often followed by 'off' or 'from'. The object is the unwanted top layer (foam, fat, oil) or, figuratively, the most valuable part of something. Distinguish from sense 1, where nothing is removed.
5. to steal money or secret card details bit by bit, for example by hiding a device
盜取；側錄
一點一點偷錢或偷盜卡片資料
to steal money or secret card details bit by bit, for example by hiding a device on a machine or quietly keeping part of the cash
Thieves had skimmed the card numbers using a tiny device hidden in the gas pump.
竊賊用藏在加油機裡的小裝置盜錄了那些卡號。
skim + card details (secret recording)
The cashier was caught skimming small amounts of cash from the till each day.
那名收銀員被抓到每天從收銀機裡偷拿少量現金。
skim + cash (quietly keeping part)
Police warned that criminals were skimming bank cards at unguarded street machines.
警方警告說，犯罪者正在無人看管的街頭機台上側錄銀行卡。
The accountant had been skimming company funds into a secret account for years.
那名會計多年來一直把公司資金偷偷轉到一個秘密帳戶。
Online sellers worried that a hidden program was skimming their customers' card data.
網路賣家擔心有個隱藏程式正在盜取顧客的卡片資料。
- embezzle
more formal; specifically stealing money you were trusted to manage
- siphon off
to divert money quietly, often over time
文法句型
skim + money/card details
用法筆記
Always about dishonest taking, usually a little at a time so it is hard to notice. Object is money, profits, or card/account details. Often appears with 'device', 'card', or 'funds'.
skimmed — 名詞
1. a very thin layer of something spread over a surface
薄層
鋪在表面上的一層薄薄東西
a very thin layer of something spread over a surface
A thin skim of ice covered the puddles in the school yard this morning.
今天早上學校操場的水窪上結了一層薄薄的冰。
a skim of + substance (thin layer)
The builder spread a light skim of plaster over the rough kitchen wall.
工人在粗糙的廚房牆上抹了一層薄薄的灰泥。
skim of plaster (building term)
There was only a faint skim of dust on the old piano lid.
那台舊鋼琴的琴蓋上只有一層淡淡的灰塵。
A pale skim of oil floated on the surface of the still pond.
一層淡淡的油浮在那片靜止的池水表面上。
文法句型
a skim of + substance
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' plus the material (a skim of ice, plaster, dust). Emphasises how thin the layer is. More technical or literary than the everyday verb.
2. a fast read of something to get the main idea rather than the full detail
略讀
快速讀過以抓重點的一次閱讀
a fast read of something to get the main idea rather than the full detail
Talia gave the contract a quick skim before signing at the bottom.
Talia 在最下方簽名前，先把合約快速略讀了一遍。
a quick skim of + text
Arjun gave the science article a first skim and guessed it was about city pollution.
Arjun 把那篇科學文章略讀了一遍，猜想內容是在講城市汙染。
skim describing a brief reading
After a five-minute skim, the editor knew which pages needed real attention.
略讀五分鐘後，編輯就知道哪幾頁需要真正細看。
The teacher said a quick skim of the notes was not enough for the exam.
老師說只把筆記略讀一遍，應付不了那場考試。
文法句型
a quick skim of + text
用法筆記
Usually appears as 'a quick skim' or 'a first skim' and pairs with 'give something a skim'. Distinguish from sense 1: this is the act of reading fast, not a physical layer.
3. the stuff that has been lifted off the top of a liquid
撇出物
從液體表面撈起來的那層東西
the stuff that has been lifted off the top of a liquid
The dairy worker poured the skim from the milk into a separate metal pail.
乳品工人把從牛奶撇起的那層東西，倒進另一個金屬桶裡。
the skim = material taken off the top
A grey skim of fat had collected at the edge of the cooling stew.
一層灰色的油脂聚在漸漸冷掉的燉菜邊緣。
Quan tipped the oily skim from the soup pot into the sink.
Quan 把湯鍋裡那層油膩的撇出物倒進水槽。
The farmer used the leftover skim to feed the young calves in the barn.
農夫拿撇下來的那層東西去餵穀倉裡的小牛。
- scum
scum is usually unwanted; a skim can be a useful by-product like cream
文法句型
the skim + from/off + liquid
用法筆記
Refers to the removed top layer itself (fat, foam, cream), not the act. Mostly used in dairy and cooking contexts. Distinguish from sense 1, which is the layer in place rather than after removal.
skimmed — 形容詞
1. describing milk that has had its fatty cream taken off the top
脫脂的
已撇去表面奶油脂肪的牛奶
describing milk that has had its fatty cream taken off the top
Talia always buys skimmed milk because she is trying to eat less fat.
Talia 總是買脫脂牛奶，因為她想少吃一點脂肪。
skimmed + milk (cream taken off)
The cafe offers skimmed milk for customers who want a lighter coffee.
這家咖啡館為想喝清淡咖啡的客人提供脫脂牛奶。
attributive use before milk
A glass of skimmed milk has far less fat than a glass of full cream.
一杯脫脂牛奶的脂肪，遠比一杯全脂牛奶少得多。
The recipe asked for warm skimmed milk and a spoonful of honey.
食譜要用溫的脫脂牛奶，再加一匙蜂蜜。
- fat-free
marketing term; emphasises no fat rather than the removal process
- whole
whole milk keeps all its natural cream
- full-cream
British term for milk with all the cream left in
文法句型
skimmed + milk
用法筆記
Almost always before a noun, especially 'milk'. British English; American English usually says 'skim milk'. Contrasts with whole or full-cream milk.
2. made using milk that has already had the cream removed
脫脂製的
用已去除奶油的牛奶做成的
made using milk that has already had the cream removed
The shop sells skimmed yogurt for shoppers watching their daily fat intake.
這家店賣脫脂優格，給注意每日脂肪攝取的顧客。
skimmed + dairy product (made from skim milk)
Yasmin chose the skimmed cheese because it had fewer calories than the regular kind.
Yasmin 選了脫脂起司，因為它的熱量比一般的少。
attributive use before another dairy noun
Many low-fat desserts are made with skimmed milk powder instead of cream.
很多低脂甜點是用脫脂奶粉做的，而不是用奶油。
The gym cafe serves a protein shake based on skimmed dairy products.
健身房咖啡館供應一款用脫脂乳製品做的蛋白飲。
- low-fat
broader; covers any reduced-fat dairy, not only skim-milk-based
- full-fat
made with milk that keeps all its cream
文法句型
skimmed + dairy product
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: here the noun is a product (yogurt, cheese, powder) made from skim milk, not the milk itself. Always attributive.