skinner
noun
a person or thing that skins.
skinner
1 American
[skin-er]
/ ˈskɪn ər /
noun
skinners
plural
-
a person or thing that skins.
-
a person who prepares or deals in skins or hides.
-
a person who drives draft animals, as mules or oxen.
-
the operator of a piece of heavy equipment used in clearing land or in construction work, as a tractor or bulldozer.
-
any of a band of irregular cavalry operating in the neutral ground of Westchester County, New York, during the American Revolution and claiming loyalty to both the British and American troops but preying on all persons indiscriminately.
Skinner
2
American
[skin-er]
/ ˈskɪn ər /
noun
-
B(urrhus) F(rederic) 1904–90, U.S. psychologist and writer.
-
Cornelia Otis, 1901–79, U.S. actress and author.
-
her father Otis, 1858–1942, U.S. actor.
Skinner
1
British
/ ˈskɪnə /
noun
skinner
2
British
/ ˈskɪnə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of skinner
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at skin, -er 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.
See Examples For:
Twan was bony, even skinner than I was, so skinny he didn't have shoulders.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2022
Dale Firm, a 57-year-old fish skinner for Campo, said he likely faces a future of welfare and food stamps if the bills pass.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 21, 2020
He worked as a “lumper,” bringing boxes of fish from the boats, then as a journeyman, wheeling them to the loading zones, then as a skinner, a cutter, a salesman, and, finally, a buyer.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 1, 2019
He once successfully administered antivenin to a skinner who had been bitten by a snake, he wrote in a column for Sports Afield, and soldered a leaking radiator on a baggage truck.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 22, 2018
“Slim’s as good a skinner as I ever seen.”
From "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
Fleet was elected MP for Bolsover in July 2024, succeeding Labour stalwart Dennis Skinner.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has been able to convince standout safety and top athlete Tahj Skinner to play quarterback this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
Drummer Tom Skinner, known for his work in jazz bands as well as Radiohead side project the Smile, makes an appearance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Filmed in Malta and Gozo, the series also stars Leila Farzad and Hugh Skinner, whose performances lean further into the show's dark comedy.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
“And turns out Mr. Skinner was in the faculty john dropping a deuce, and the firecracker rolled underneath the stalls and practically burned his ta-ta off.”
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
Inskip and her colleagues zeroed in on the medieval city of Winchester, which had not only skinners, tailors, and furriers, but also a hospital for leprosy patients.
From Science Magazine ● May 3, 2024
Everything began with personnel identified as "skinners," who would select an animal from the tarp and heave it onto a table.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2022
The milliner Stephen Jones said the same before a show of Edward Crutchley’s work, held inside a medieval guild hall devoted to London’s skinners, and most notable for its hats.
From New York Times ● Jan. 6, 2020
Early morning hikers and skinners at Breckenridge have a new accessory: pooper-scoopers.
From Time Magazine Archive
The trades of tanners, skinners and glove-makers existed at the time of the Conquest, and the importation of marten skins is mentioned in Domesday.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various
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.
