ski
Americannoun
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one of a pair of long, slender runners made of wood, plastic, or metal used in gliding over snow.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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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
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( as modifier )
a ski boot
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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
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have been skiingperfect progressive
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has been skiingperfect progressive
Past
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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.
The roughly 3,000-person community belies South Dakota’s flat-plains stereotype, feeling closer to a western ski village than a Midwestern farm town.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
U.S. ski racing legend Lindsey Vonn suffered major injuries to her left leg during a crash at the Winter Olympics but is not ruling out a return to competition.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026
When Hank answers the door in a ski mask, Aaron doesn’t balk.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
"Most of vessels used by Ukraine are smaller, more like the size of a jet ski, and couldn't carry a person," says Clark.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
“It's a ski resort, but it's not pretentious. In Jackson, they say people who go to Aspen expect somebody to tie their ski boots up for them,” Georgina said.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
