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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

skimmer en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From skim + -er.

Meanings

  1. A device that skims. ▸ A sieve-like, slotted spoon.
  2. A device that skims. ▸ A device for removing organic matter from an aquarium.
  3. (qualifier:crime) A device that skims. ▸ A device used to read and record the magnetic code from a credit card for later fraudulent use.
  4. A person who skims.
    • Perhaps the greatest stone skimmer is Scotland's own Dougie Isaacs, who has won eight world titles. 2023, Richard Deitsch, The Year's Best Sports Writing 2023:
  5. Any of three species of bird, in the genus Rynchops of the family Laridae, that feed by skimming the surface of water bodies with their bills in flight.
  6. Any of several large bivalve shells, sometimes used for skimming milk, such as the sea clam (Spisula solidissima) and large scallops.
  7. A ballet flat shoe.
  8. A loose-fitting one-piece dress, similar to a shift but with slightly more fitting.
    • Slightly A-line, princess-cut “skimmers” were popular as dresses in summer and jumpers in winter. 2009, Phyllis G. Tortora, Keith Eubank, Survey of Historic Costume, page 572:
    • Classic, box-pleated skimmers and pantdresses stay crisp and fresh, won't wrinkle or wilt! 1969, The New York Times Magazine (part 3)
    • The utilization of divided dart control—some stitched and some unstitched—is the basis of semifitted styles such as the shift or skimmer dress. 2006, Adele P. Margolis, Judy Skoogfors, Make Your Own Dress Patterns, page 73:
  9. Any of the dragonflies in the family Libellulidae.
  10. A sailor in the surface forces, as opposed to a submariner.
  11. A surface ship.
  12. A small, fast-moving spacecraft.
    • They said no one landed on other planets. They said there was no such thing as a skimmer. Rocky hadn't believed them. They didn't know everything. He wished they could see the skimmer. 2000, Carlie Simonsen, Rocky to the Rescue, page 2:
    • Kondric stood beside the skimmer for a moment, looking back at his warriors. They shouted and banged their swords on their shields. He raised his hand in farewell, and followed Violet into the cabin. 2015, Aurora Springer, Grand Master's Pawn:
  13. Synonym of water strider.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
skimmers Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

shimmer · shimming · skimming

Deriveds

African skimmer · hydroskimmer · blue skimmer · neon skimmer · spider skimmer · slender skimmer · filigree skimmer · Indian skimmer · sea skimmer · black skimmer · fiery skimmer

Synonyms

scissorbill (birds) · water strider

Translations (51)

cmn 剪嘴鷗 /剪嘴鸥 (bird of genus Rynchops) · tl espumadera (spoon) · it schiumarola (spoon) · es pico tijera (bird of genus Rynchops) · it becco a forbice (bird of genus Rynchops) · ml കണ്ണാപ്പ (spoon) · ca bec de tisora (bird of genus Rynchops) · ko 집게제비갈매기 (bird of genus Rynchops) · it schiumaiola (spoon) · tg кафгир (spoon) · ota كفكیر (spoon) · bg водорез (bird of genus Rynchops) · fi saksinokka (bird of genus Rynchops) · de Schaumlöffel (spoon) · pt escumadeira (spoon) · sv saxnäbb (bird of genus Rynchops) · ca escumadora (spoon) · it schiumatoio (spoon) · cmn 漏勺 (spoon) · ja あみじゃくし (spoon) · es espumadera (spoon) · pl osoba odcedzająca (person) · scn scumarola (spoon) · es rayador (bird of genus Rynchops) · yo ìwà (spoon) · ar مِطْفَحَة (spoon) · eo tondilbekulo (bird of genus Rynchops) · sv hålslev (spoon) · ru шумо́вка (spoon) · cs sběračka (spoon) · fr bec-en-ciseaux (bird of genus Rynchops) · de Scherenschnabel (bird of genus Rynchops) · it becco a cesoie (bird of genus Rynchops) · ru водорез (bird of genus Rynchops) · de Schaumkelle (spoon) · pl szumówka (spoon) · nl schaarbek (bird of genus Rynchops) · fa کفچلیز (spoon) · ja ハサミアジサシ (bird of genus Rynchops) · gl escumadeira (spoon) · ja 網杓子 (spoon) · pl brzytwodziób (bird of genus Rynchops) · fi reikäkauha (spoon) · sv skumslev (spoon) · pt espumadeira (spoon) · fi kuorija (person) · ko 그물 국자 (spoon) · fr écumoire (spoon) · nv yaadaaʼnézí (bird of genus Rynchops) · bg решетъчна лъжица (spoon) · pl łyżka cedzakowa (spoon)

wikidata: Q270322

skimmer en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Northern variant of shimmer.

Meanings

  1. To shimmer.
  2. To move quickly, to flutter.
    • …he was bounding over the heads of the maidens, and making his feet skimmer against the ceiling, enjoying, the while, the most ecstatic emotions. 1824, James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, Oxford, published 2010, page 9:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
skimmering Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
skimmers Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
skimmered Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
skimmered Tense=Past lexicographic