peel
verbnounnounnounnounverbverbverbnounverbcommon in dialogue
- //piːl//
- /[pʰiːɫ]/
- /[pʰiəɫ]/
To remove the skin or outer covering of.
verb
- 1
To remove the skin or outer covering of.
I sat by my sister's bed, peeling oranges for her.
The skillful shepherd peeled me certain wands.
- 2
To remove something from the outer or top layer of.
I peeled (the skin from) a banana and ate it hungrily.
We peeled the old wallpaper off in strips where it was hanging loose.
- 3
To become detached, come away, especially in flakes or strips; to shed skin in such a way.
I had been out in the sun too long, and my nose was starting to peel.
- 4
To remove one's clothing.
The children peeled by the side of the lake and jumped in.
- 5
To move, separate (off or away).
The scrum-half peeled off and made for the touchlines.
Etymology
From Middle English pelen, from Old English pilian and Old French peler, pellier; both from Latin pilō, pilāre (“to remove hair from, depilate”), from pilus (“hair”). Doublet of pill.
noun
- 1
The skin or outer layer of a fruit, vegetable, etc.
- 2
The action of peeling away from a formation.
- 3
A cosmetic preparation designed to remove dead skin or to exfoliate.
noun
- 1
obsoleteA stake.
- 2
obsoleteA fence made of stakes; a stockade.
- 3
archaicA small tower, fort, or castle; a keep.
Etymology
From Middle English peel, pele, from Anglo-Norman pel (compare modern French pieu), from Latin pālus (“stake”). Doublet of pole and pale.
noun
- 1
A shovel or similar instrument, now especially a pole with a flat disc at the end used for removing pizza or loaves of bread from a baker's oven.
Near-synonym: pizza paddle
“I will hit you with this pizza peel.” “I'll hit you with this wrench.” “All right, all right, I know we want to hit each other to death, but what if we didn't?” “Not happening, Green. There's enough peel here for you and the captain.”
- 2
A T-shaped implement used by printers and bookbinders for hanging wet sheets of paper on lines or poles to dry.
- 3
archaicThe blade of an oar.
Etymology
From Middle English pele, from Old French pele (modern French pelle), from Latin pāla, from the base of plangō (“fix, plant”). Doublet of pala.
noun
- 1
An equal or match; a draw.
- 2
A takeout which removes a stone from play as well as the delivered stone.
Etymology
Unknown.
verb
- 1
To play a peel shot.
verb
- 1
To send through a hoop (of a ball other than one's own).
Etymology
Named from Walter H. Peel, a noted 19th-century croquet player.
verb
- 1
archaicTo plunder; to pillage, rob.
But govern ill the nations under yoke, / Peeling their provinces.
Etymology
From Old French piller (“pillage”).
noun
- 1
Variant of pealAlternative form of peal (“a small or young salmon”).
verb
- 1
Variant of pealMisspelling of peal (“to sound loudly”).
1825 June 25, "My Village Bells", in The Circulator of Useful Knowledge, Literature, Amusement, and General Information number XXVI, available in, 1825, The Circulator of Useful Amusement, Literature, Science, and General Information, page 401, Oh ! still for me let merry bells peel out their holy chime;
1901 January 1, "Twentieth Century's Triumphant Entry", The New York Times, page 1, The lights flashed, the crowds sang,... bells peeled, bombs thundered,... and the new Century made its triumphant entry.
As the tiny Virgin... approaches one of the barrio churches, bells peel vigorously, a brass band launches into a fast-paced tune, and large rockets zoom... .
Forms
- plural
- peels
- past tense
- peeled
- past participle
- peeled
- present participle
- peeling
- third person singular
- peels