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Skittle

//ˈskɪtəl// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    One of the wooden targets used in skittles.

    "By the afternoon it seemed as if the storm had passed and that frost was setting in; but in the evening the wind rose to gale force, bringing telegraph poles down like skittles and tangling power and telephone lines."

  2. 2
    a bowling pin of the type used in playing ninepins or (in England) skittles wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To play skittles. intransitive
  2. 2
    play skittles wordnet
  3. 3
    (with down) To squander one's money. transitive
  4. 4
    (sometimes with out) To rapidly bowl out a succession of batsmen. transitive
  5. 5
    (sometimes with out) To rapidly bowl out a succession of batsmen.; To defeat easily. figuratively, transitive
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  1. 6
    To knock down (skittles). transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

Origin unknown. Perhaps of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse skutill (“bolt, harpoon”), related to skjóta (“to shoot”), but the OED dismisses this connection as conjecture. The Old Norse word is related to Swedish and Danish skyttel (“shuttle, child's toy”). Compare also Old English sċytel (“a dart, bolt”). More at shuttle.

Etymology 2

Origin unknown. Perhaps of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse skutill (“bolt, harpoon”), related to skjóta (“to shoot”), but the OED dismisses this connection as conjecture. The Old Norse word is related to Swedish and Danish skyttel (“shuttle, child's toy”). Compare also Old English sċytel (“a dart, bolt”). More at shuttle.

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