to strip (something) of its skin, rind, bark, etc..
to peel an orange.
to strip (the skin, rind, bark, paint, etc.) from something.
to peel paint from a car.
Croquet. to cause (another player's ball) to go through a wicket.
(of skin, bark, paint, etc.) to come off; become separated.
to lose the skin, rind, bark, paint, etc.
Informal. to undress.
Metallurgy. (of a malleable iron casting) to lose, or tend to lose, the outer layer.
the skin or rind of a fruit, vegetable, etc.
Metallurgy. the presence of a brittle outer layer on a malleable iron casting.
a shovellike implement for putting bread, pies, etc., into the oven or taking them out.
Metallurgy. a long, shovellike iron tool for charging an open-hearth furnace.
Sir Robert, 1788–1850, British political leader: founder of the London constabulary; prime minister 1834–35; 1841–46.
a seaport on W Isle of Man: castle; resort.
a river in N Yukon Territory and NW Northwest Territories, Canada, flowing E and N to the Mackenzie River. 425 miles (684 km) long.
(tr) to remove (the skin, rind, outer covering, etc) of (a fruit, egg, etc)
(intr) (of paint, etc) to be removed from a surface, esp through weathering
(intr) (of a surface) to lose its outer covering of paint, etc esp through weathering
(intr) (of a person or part of the body) to shed skin in flakes or (of skin) to be shed in flakes, esp as a result of sunburn
croquet to put (another player's ball) through a hoop or hoops
to watch vigilantly
John, real name John Robert Parker Ravenscroft . 1939–2004, British broadcaster; presented his influential Radio 1 music programme (1967–2004) and Radio 4's Home Truths (1998–2004)
Sir Robert. 1788–1850, British statesman; Conservative prime minister (1834–35; 1841–46). As Home Secretary (1828–30) he founded the Metropolitan Police and in his second ministry carried through a series of free-trade budgets culminating in the repeal of the Corn Laws (1846), which split the Tory party
Peel, pare agree in meaning to remove the skin or rind from something. Peel means to pull or strip off the natural external covering or protection of something: to peel an orange, a potato. Pare is used of trimming off chips, flakes, or superficial parts from something, as well as of cutting off the skin or rind: to pare the nails; to pare a potato.
First recorded before 1100; Middle English pilen, pillen, pilien “to strip off, remove,” Old English pilian “to strip, skin” (unrecorded), or Old French pillier, peler, from Latin pilāre “to remove hair, pluck, scalp,” derivative of pilus “hair”; see pill 2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pele, pale, pile “baker's shovel,” from Old French pele, pale, from Latin pāla “long-handled spade, shoulder blade”; see palette
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pel, pele, peil “defensive palisade, fortress,” from Anglo-French pel, pele “stockade” and Middle French pel “stake,” from Latin pālus “stake, post”; see pale 2, pole 1
A peel is the covering of a fruit or vegetable. Some peels are thick and easy to remove, like an orange peel, while others might be more stubborn, like the thin peel on a potato. When you remove an apple peel or the peel of an eggplant, you peel it. You can peel anything with a rind or skin, especially things you can eat, like shrimp and onions. There are non-edible things to peel, like stickers and old wallpaper too. You can also figuratively peel something: "I had to peel off my wet clothes and put dry ones on before I stopped shivering." The Latin root, pilare, means "to strip of hair."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For a hint of brightness, throw in lemon juice or dried citrus peel.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
"I didn't destroy or break or peel anything. By the time I realized what was going on, I was being put in handcuffs."
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
The $14.7-million repainting of the Reflecting Pool became particularly controversial last month after algae overtook the renovated pool and the new paint appeared to peel off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
They peel back the Coke label, check what's there before they buy, and re-stick the label as they approach the register so their money isn't wasted by landing a fifth Raúl Jiménez.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
He didn’t actually forbid us to peel our apples or waste the cores, but he kept referring to the matter so as to let us know that he had noticed what we were doing.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
The John Peel Sessions, from 1982 to 1986, established the band's early career.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
The newly announced buyback will boost earnings-per-share, even if prices cuts lead to slightly lower-than-expected revenue for fiscal 2027, Peel Hunt analysts Gautam Pillai and Tanzila Ali wrote in a note to clients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Kershaw also joined BBC Radio 1 in the summer of 1985 - he was viewed by some as a potential successor to DJ John Peel.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Billed here as Nine Inch Noize, the pairing had experience on stages together, teaming up for the nightly middle third of Nails’ recent Peel It Back tour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026
Peel a dollar from the stack that Jenkins gives each of us in the morning, the bill clipped to an envelope so they can send in their name and address and family and occupation.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
“Age peels away the misconceptions. You become clearer about what you know to be true,” Fouther said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
But in its softer, more introspective moments, “WGIA$” peels away the layers without losing the hard synths or sonic left-turns that feel so reminiscent of aughts-era electropop.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Young shoppers enamored with the “glass skin” look are snapping up serums, peels, gels and mists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
Male jewel beetles, having evolved to respond to the exciting sight, are known to mistake orange peels for potential mates and die in a fruitless attempt to impregnate them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
Ms. Kolbinsky peels back a bit of saran wrap and eases a few samosas out.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
The upcoming week is light on economic-data reports, though investors will be keeping their eyes peeled for Wednesday’s release of the Fed’s minutes from their June meeting.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 5, 2026
Soldier Ivan Pyrtsu -- on rare leave from his unit -- had his eyes peeled on his three daughters as they dived into the cool water.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Spaeny: I just got back from home last night, and I always feel a layer gets peeled off when I’m there.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Chinese white-birch plywood sandwiches sheets of white poplar wood between outer layers of birch veneer, which is peeled from logs that are typically harvested in Siberian forests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
They jumped back into their Jeep and peeled away, turning in a wide arc across the road.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Or maybe you’ve experienced the unique frustration of peeling off a price tag and ending up with a stubborn gooey patch?
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Lettuce and other leafy foods with multiple layers pose a higher risk of contamination, but with a vigorous wash and peeling the outer layers, even the greens can be saved.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
David Hearn was indicted for allegedly peeling off a portion of newly installed sealant on one of Trump’s pet projects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Chunks of blue paint are peeling off the bottom just two weeks after multi-million dollar renovations were completed.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
I tended my herb garden every day and when Mamá cut her hand peeling nopales, I put milenrama on it.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
