ski
Americannoun
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skis,
plural
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ski
plural
-
one of a pair of long, slender runners made of wood, plastic, or metal used in gliding over snow.
verb (used without object)
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skis,
present (3rd person singular)
-
skied,
past participle, past
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skiing
present participle
verb (used with object)
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skis,
present (3rd person singular)
-
skied,
past participle, past
-
skiing
present participle
noun
-
-
one of a pair of wood, metal, or plastic runners that are used for gliding over snow. Skis are commonly attached to shoes for sport, but may also be used as landing gear for aircraft, etc
-
( as modifier )
a ski boot
-
-
a water-ski
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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skisimple
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skissimple
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have skiedperfect
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has skiedperfect
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am skiingprogressive
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are skiingprogressive
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is skiingprogressive
-
have been skiingperfect progressive
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has been skiingperfect progressive
Past
-
skiedsimple
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had skiedperfect
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was skiingprogressive
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were skiingprogressive
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had been skiingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ski
First recorded in 1745–55; from Norwegian; Old Norse skīth; cognate with Old English scīd “strip of wood,” German Scheit “thin board”
Explanation
Skis are sporting equipment—long, thin pieces of wood, plastic, or metal that you strap to your feet so you can glide across the snow or down a snowy hill. To slide down a mountain on skis is to ski. You can also cross country ski, or move across flat, snowy ground and gentle hills on skis. The special boots that skiers wear are called ski boots, and you also need a ski helmet and ski goggles when you go skiing. In its earliest English use, the word was spelled skee, and it's rooted in the Old Norse skið, "long snowshoe."
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.
See Examples For:
They found an empty jet ski in the water around 1:15 a.m. and a second one around 1:45 a.m. but no person nearby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Oh, and never ski with anyone who skied down Everest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The 48-year-old president drew criticism after Paris Match magazine splashed a photo of Macron speeding across the Riviera on a jet ski across its cover.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The road was originally built in the ’30s to accommodate traffic heading to the ski resort, which closed in the ’70s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
They were locked in place by those ski boot clamps.
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
Eventually, it will also let returning visitors get their rental skis or snowboards tuned and delivered without going through an in-store fitting process.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
“The reason Americans will have a backlash if the first lady gets out too far over her skis, as they say, is that they are unaccountable,” Perry said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The phrase is used to described the final phase of a runaway bull market that has gotten well over its skis.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
The event got back under way after several hours with safety measures including additional jet skis and a drone spotter to monitor the water.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Frank had stored his spear, bow, and quiver in a long bag made for skis.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
Mr. Chin looked left, looked right, and then jumped in and skied down Everest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Sunrisers had a glimmer when Seifert skied Abrar Ahmed on 57 but Crawley dropped a tough chance and the belief ebbed out of the visitors.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Arsenal produced a battling display but lacked attacking quality as PSG dominated with 75% possession and eventually won on penalties as centre-back Gabriel skied his penalty in the shootout.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
The next inning, Max Muncy skied a solo homer to right.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
Haukelid skied back across the border and rejoined the resistance.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
Whisenant had frequently posted about his adventures across the Sierra Nevada, not only rock climbing but also skiing, biking and camping across the mountains, according to his Instagram page.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The region offers a variety of outdoor recreational activities, including hiking, paddleboarding and, in the winter, skiing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
"We spent Christmases with him and his family, Boxing Days, pretty much every birthday they had, even skiing holidays," Ryan-Bell said.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
The gated community has direct access to year-round recreation, including skiing, hiking, mountain biking, ATVing, and snowmobiling; it also has a private trout pond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Ebullient and direct, she’d grown up in northern California, where her father had introduced her to camping, hiking, and skiing as a young girl.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
