skimming
Americannoun
-
Usually skimmings. floating matter that is removed from the surface of a liquid.
-
Metallurgy. skimmings, dross.
-
Slang. the practice of concealing gambling or other profits so as to avoid paying taxes, commissions, etc..
An audit of their cleaning business uncovered several years of skimming.
-
the practice of electronically appropriating account numbers or other confidential data for illegal use.
A chip is embedded in the credit card to prevent skimming.
Etymology
Origin of skimming
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English skemmyng; see skim, -ing 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.
Skimming fungus off expired financial products since 2008,
From MarketWatch • Nov. 23, 2025
Skimming the shelves while carrying her daughter, new mother Crystal Morales recalls her own relationship to Spanish.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024
Skimming the ingredient list, you could mistake it for chicken Alfredo.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2024
Skimming the water’s surface, Ukrainian sea drones carry explosives stealthily toward Russian ports and vessels, a growing threat in Kyiv’s arsenal.
From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2023
Skimming the wave-crests he reached at last the lovely island which had become for Odysseus a hateful prison.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
