Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

peeling

American  
[pee-ling] / ˈpi lɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that peels.

  2. that which is peeled from something, as a piece of the skin or rind of a fruit.

peeling British  
/ ˈpiːlɪŋ /

noun

  1. a strip of skin, rind, bark, etc, that has been peeled off

    a potato peeling
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unpeeling adjective

Etymology

Origin of peeling

First recorded in 1555–65; peel 1 + -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.

Previously, thin layers of MoSe2 were created using exfoliation -- a method similar to peeling layers off a crystal with adhesive tape.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

“Every situation is slightly different, and you have to start peeling the onion,” Smith said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

“Apartment Window” is nearly abstract, sandwiching a constellation of peeling, sun-bleached cartoon stickers between a reflected sunset and the stripes of vertical blinds.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

And arm yourself with simple pantry staples that you can graze on lazily, ideally while peeling a clementine and thumbing a paperback.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

He focused on the words coming out of the gray box up above the peeling whiteboard.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

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.