skewer

American  

[skyoo-er] / ˈskyu ər /

noun

1. a long pin of wood or metal for inserting through meat or other food to hold or bind it in cooking.

2. any similar pin for fastening or holding an item in place.

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verb (used with object)

1. to fasten with or as if with a skewer.

skewer British  

/ ˈskjʊə /

noun

1. a long pin for holding meat in position while being cooked, etc

2. a similar pin having some other function

3. chess a tactical manoeuvre in which an attacked man is made to move and expose another man to capture

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verb

1. (tr) to drive a skewer through or fasten with a skewer

Other Word Forms

• unskewered
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of skewer

First recorded in 1670–80; earlier skiver < ?

Explanation

The pointed wooden stick you use to hold cubes of meat or vegetables together while they're cooking is called a skewer. You can also use a very long skewer to toast marshmallows over a campfire. As a verb, skewer means to push a skewer through food: "Would you skewer those shrimps, and toss them on the grill?" It's also an informal term meaning to criticize someone so harshly that it probably hurts them: "This opinion piece in the newspaper really skewers the President." Experts guess that skewer has a Scandinavian root, possibly the Old Norse skifa, "a cut or slice."

Example Sentences

For decades, Chinese brothers Gao Zhen and Gao Qiang have made a name for themselves with sculptures like this: irreverent contemporary artworks that skewer the authoritarian past, and present, of their native homeland.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

And skewer others: the butterfly keyboard, FineWoven cases, walled gardens, Siri and AirPower.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

We begin with a gilda, a tiny skewer of anchovy, olive, pickled pepper and a platter of cured meats and cheeses.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

Every political campaign needs a good slogan – a snappy phrase to energise voters and skewer opponents.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2025

Aggo gave an urchin a copper for a skewer of honey- roasted mice and nibbled them as he rode.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin