skinner
noun
a person or thing that skins.
skinner
1 American
[skin-er]
/ ˈskɪn ər /
noun
-
skinners
plural
-
a person or thing that skins.
-
a person who prepares or deals in skins or hides.
-
a person who drives draft animals, as mules or oxen.
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the operator of a piece of heavy equipment used in clearing land or in construction work, as a tractor or bulldozer.
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any of a band of irregular cavalry operating in the neutral ground of Westchester County, New York, during the American Revolution and claiming loyalty to both the British and American troops but preying on all persons indiscriminately.
Skinner
2
American
[skin-er]
/ ˈskɪn ər /
noun
-
B(urrhus) F(rederic) 1904–90, U.S. psychologist and writer.
-
Cornelia Otis, 1901–79, U.S. actress and author.
-
her father Otis, 1858–1942, U.S. actor.
Skinner
1
British
/ ˈskɪnə /
noun
skinner
2
British
/ ˈskɪnə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of skinner
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at skin, -er 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Once the vet finished the external inspection, the skinner would gently comb through the animal's fur with a metal instrument to remove dust and matted blood.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2022
Dale Firm, a 57-year-old fish skinner for Campo, said he likely faces a future of welfare and food stamps if the bills pass.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 21, 2020
He worked as a “lumper,” bringing boxes of fish from the boats, then as a journeyman, wheeling them to the loading zones, then as a skinner, a cutter, a salesman, and, finally, a buyer.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 1, 2019
He once successfully administered antivenin to a skinner who had been bitten by a snake, he wrote in a column for Sports Afield, and soldered a leaking radiator on a baggage truck.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 22, 2018
A young mule skinner named Milton Humason helped to transport mechanical and optical equipment, scientists, engineers and dignitaries up the mountain.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Like rats in a Skinner box being conditioned to get food or stop pain, AI models hill-climb in a process similar to reinforcement learning, tweaking their parameters based on feedback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Skinner had done a good job in the face of widespread scrutiny from fans.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Marc Skinner departs Manchester United with a win percentage of 60.84%
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The club said on Monday that Marc Skinner had left his position by mutual consent, ending a five-year spell that included a first major trophy.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
“As if he had secrets. Sour Alyn, Luton, Skinner, and the rest, where does he think they came from? Can he truly believe they are his men?”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Inskip and her colleagues zeroed in on the medieval city of Winchester, which had not only skinners, tailors, and furriers, but also a hospital for leprosy patients.
From Science Magazine ● May 3, 2024
Everything began with personnel identified as "skinners," who would select an animal from the tarp and heave it onto a table.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2022
The milliner Stephen Jones said the same before a show of Edward Crutchley’s work, held inside a medieval guild hall devoted to London’s skinners, and most notable for its hats.
From New York Times ● Jan. 6, 2020
These huge construction jobs mean huge payrolls; into Fairbanks alone last week Pan American was flying 2,500 laborers, cat skinners, carpenters.
From Time Magazine Archive
Have a care," he said; "the country beyond swarms with cowboys and skinners, and the rebel horse ride everywhere unchecked.
From The Reckoning by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
