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Added 9 October 2026

skim

/skɪm/ verb

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about skim at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.
To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of.
To hasten along with superficial attention.

adjective

Having lowered fat content.

noun

A cursory reading, skipping the details.
Skim milk.
The act of skimming.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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