skiff
A small flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed bow and square sternA small flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed bow and square stern.
» Tom fishes alone in a skiff.
Meaning
5 sensesA small flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed bow and square stern.
Any of various types of boats small enough for sailing or rowing by one person.
Skiff
я́ликjálik
я́ликjályk
any of various small boats propelled by oars or by sails or by a motor
A light, fleeting shower of rain or snow, or gust of wind, etc.
A skiff of rain blew into the shed and the two men moved their chairs back.
A (typically light) dusting of snow or ice (or dust, etc) (on ground, water, trees, etc).
An act of slightly pruning tea bushes, placing new leaves at a convenient height without removing much woody growth.
Examples
3 sentencesTom fishes alone in a skiff.
I think I see a skiff on the horizon.
The fishing boat turned out to be a pirate skiff.
deDas Fischerboot entpuppte sich als Piratenboot.
Translations
6 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English skif, from Middle French esquif, from Old Italian schifo (“small boat”From Middle English skif, from Middle French esquif, from Old Italian schifo (“small boat”), from Lombardic skif (“boat”), from Proto-Germanic *skipą (“boat, ship”). Doublet of ship.
From Scots skiff (“light shower of rain or snow”), from skiff (“move lightly”); compare the derivative skiffle (whence English skiffle) and (English skift (“light dusting of snow”) from) Scots skift (“light shower of snow”), from skift (“move lightly”), perhaps related to shift/Old Norse skipta, or perhaps an onomatopoeic formation.
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