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skittle

[ skit-l ]
/ ˈskɪt l /
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noun Chiefly British.
skittles, (used with a singular verb) ninepins in which a wooden ball or disk is used to knock down the pins.
one of the pins used in this game.
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Origin of skittle

1625–35; perhaps <Scandinavian; compare Old Norse skutill shuttle, arrow; Danish skyttel shuttle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use skittle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for skittle

skittle
/ (ˈskɪtəl) /

noun
a wooden or plastic pin, typically widest just above the base
Also called (esp US): ninepins (plural; functioning as singular) a bowling game in which players knock over as many skittles as possible by rolling a wooden ball at them
beer and skittles (often used with a negative) informal an easy time; amusement

Word Origin for skittle

C17: of obscure origin; perhaps related to Swedish, Danish skyttel shuttle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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