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Skim

//skɪm// adj, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective

1
Having lowered fat content. not-comparable

Adjective

1
used of milk and milk products from which the cream has been removed wordnet

Noun

1
A cursory reading, skipping the details. countable, uncountable
"For a first quick appreciation of the approach, we recommend a fast reading of Chapter 1, then a skim through the figures of the next two chapters — glancing at the definitions of key concepts that appear below the figures in Chapters 2 and 3."
2
reading or glancing through quickly wordnet
3
Skim milk. countable, informal, uncountable
"Two percent milk has only a fraction less fat than whole milk, so unless you are feeding a child or someone whose diet requires whole milk, skim is best."
4
a thin layer covering the surface of a liquid wordnet
5
The act of skimming. countable, uncountable
"Then you could jump 150 years and enjoy a skim across the Solent in Britain's remarkable Hovercraft."

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6
That which is skimmed off. countable, uncountable
7
Theft of money from a business before the transaction has been recorded, thus avoiding detection. countable, uncountable
"It's a hustle, but it keeps me busy. I can take in three to three-fifty a week, more with skims."

Verb

1
To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface. intransitive
"Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, / Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main."
2
read superficially wordnet
3
To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of. transitive
"Homer describes Mercury as flinging himself from the top of Olympus, and skimming the surface of the ocean."
4
move or pass swiftly and lightly over the surface of wordnet
5
To hasten along with superficial attention.
"They skim over a science in a very night superficial survey."

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6
remove from the surface wordnet
7
To put on a finishing coat of plaster.
"Ceilings are lined with fibrous asbestos, the internal plastering being reduced to skimming alone."
8
coat (a liquid) with a layer wordnet
9
To throw an object so it bounces on water. transitive
"skimming stones"
10
cause to skip over a surface wordnet
11
To ricochet. intransitive
12
travel on the surface of water wordnet
13
To read quickly or describe summarily, skipping some detail. transitive
"(through)"
14
examine hastily wordnet
15
To scrape off; to remove (something) from a surface transitive
16
To clear (a liquid) from scum or substance floating or lying on it, by means of a utensil that passes just beneath the surface. transitive
"to skim milk"
17
To clear a liquid from (scum or substance floating or lying on it), especially the cream that floats on top of fresh milk. transitive
"to skim cream"
18
To steal money from a business before the transaction has been recorded, thus avoiding detection.
"Obviously, the longer cash sits around before being recorded, the more likely it is that a skimming fraud will occur."
19
To surreptitiously scan a payment card in order to obtain its information for fraudulent purposes.
20
To become coated over. intransitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English skemen, skymen, variants of scumen, from Old French escumer (“to remove scum”), from escume (“froth, foam”), from Frankish *skūm (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *skew- (“to cover, conceal”). See scum.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

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