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skate
1[ skeyt ]
/ skeɪt /
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noun
verb (used without object), skat·ed, skat·ing.
verb (used with object), skat·ed, skat·ing.
to slide (a flat) across the floor of a stage.
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Idioms about skate
get / put one's skates on, British Informal. to make haste.
skate on thin ice, to be or place oneself in a risky or delicate situation: Taking a public stand on the question would be skating on thin ice.
Origin of skate
1First recorded in 1640–50; originally plural scates, from Dutch schaats (singular) “skate,” Middle Dutch schaetse “stilt” (compare Medieval Latin scatia ), of unknown origin
OTHER WORDS FROM skate
skate·a·ble, adjectiveWords nearby skate
skanky-ho, Skara Brae, skarn, Skase, skat, skate, skateboard, skateboarding, skatemobile, skate over, skatepark
Other definitions for skate (2 of 3)
skate2
[ skeyt ]
/ skeɪt /
noun, plural (especially collectively) skate, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) skates.
any of numerous rays of the family Rajidae having paired electric organs within a long, fleshy tail and producing a distinctive egg case (a mermaid's purse): a widespread group of more than 570 species, the largest being Beringraja binoculata(big skate ) of Pacific coastal waters from Alaska to Baja California, known to exceed 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) in length.
Origin of skate
2First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English scate, from Old Norse skata
Other definitions for skate (3 of 3)
skate3
[ skeyt ]
/ skeɪt /
noun Slang.
Origin of skate
3First recorded in 1890–95; perhaps special use of skate2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use skate in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for skate (1 of 3)
skate1
/ (skeɪt) /
noun
verb (intr)
Word Origin for skate
C17: via Dutch from Old French éschasse stilt, probably of Germanic origin
British Dictionary definitions for skate (2 of 3)
skate2
/ (skeɪt) /
noun plural skate or skates
any large ray of the family Rajidae, of temperate and tropical seas, having flat pectoral fins continuous with the head, two dorsal fins, a short spineless tail, and a long snout
Word Origin for skate
C14: from Old Norse skata
British Dictionary definitions for skate (3 of 3)
skate3
/ (skeɪt) /
noun
US slang a person; fellow
Word Origin for skate
from Scottish and northern English dialect skate, a derogatory term of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Other Idioms and Phrases with skate
skate
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.