skid

[ skid ]

noun

1. a plank, bar, log, or the like, especially one of a pair, on which something heavy may be slid or rolled along.
2. one of a number of such logs or timbers forming a skidway.
3. a low mobile platform on which goods are placed for ease in handling, moving, etc. Compare stillage.
4. a plank, log, low platform, etc., on or by which a load is supported.
5. Nautical.
   1. any of a number of parallel beams or timbers fixed in place as a raised support for boats, spars, etc.
   2. any of a number of timbers on which a heavy object is placed to be shoved along on rollers or slid.
   3. an arrangement of planks serving as a runway for cargo.
   4. an arrangement of planks serving as a fender to protect the side of a vessel during transfer of cargo.
   5. sidewise motion of a vessel; leeway.
6. a shoe or some other choke or drag for preventing the wheel of a vehicle from rotating, as when descending a hill.
7. a runner on the under part of some airplanes, enabling the aircraft to slide along the ground when landing.
8. an unexpected or uncontrollable sliding on a smooth surface by something not rotating, especially an oblique or wavering veering by a vehicle or its tires:

   The bus went into a skid on the icy road.

verb (used with object)

, skid·ded, skid·ding.

1. to place on or slide along a skid.

   Synonyms: slip

2. to check the motion of with a skid:

   She skidded her skates to a stop.

3. to cause to go into a skid:

   to skid the car into a turn.

verb (used without object)

, skid·ded, skid·ding.

1. to slide along without rotating, as a wheel to which a brake has been applied.

   Synonyms: slip

2. to slip or slide sideways, as an automobile in turning a corner rapidly.

   Synonyms: slither

3. to slide forward under the force of momentum after forward motion has been braked, as a vehicle.
4. (of an airplane when not banked sufficiently) to slide sideways, away from the center of the curve described in turning. Compare slip ¹( def 15 ).

skid

/ skɪd /

verb

1. to cause (a vehicle) to slide sideways or (of a vehicle) to slide sideways while in motion, esp out of control
2. intr to slide without revolving, as the wheel of a moving vehicle after sudden braking
3. tr to put or haul on a skid, esp along a special track
4. to cause (an aircraft) to slide sideways away from the centre of a turn when insufficiently banked or (of an aircraft) to slide in this manner

noun

1. an instance of sliding, esp sideways
2. one of the logs forming a skidway
3. a support on which heavy objects may be stored and moved short distances by sliding
4. a shoe or drag used to apply pressure to the metal rim of a wheel to act as a brake
5. on the skids
   in decline or about to fail

Derived Forms

• ˈskiddy, adjective

Other Words From

• skidding·ly adverb
• anti·skidding adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of skid¹

1600–10; 1925–30 skid fordef 18; apparently < Old Norse skith (noun), cognate with Old English scīd thin slip of wood; ski

Word History and Origins

Origin of skid¹

C17: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare ski

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the skids, Slang. in the process of decline or deterioration:

   His career is on the skids.

2. put the skids under, Informal. to bring about the downfall of; cause to fail:

   Lack of money put the skids under our plans.

3. the skids, Informal. the downward path to ruin, poverty, or depravity:

   After losing his job he began to hit the skids.

More idioms and phrases containing skid

In addition to the idiom beginning with skid , also see on the skids ; put the skids on ; put the skids under .

Example Sentences

A newborn baby was found dead in a Skid Row alleyway after police believe he was dropped from a fourth-floor window Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times

He cast votes for Gascón and Proposition 36, noting that while he rejects the idea that crime is out of control, living near Skid Row he sees firsthand the effects of mental illness and addiction.

From Los Angeles Times

Head coach Robert Saleh was sacked after a poor start but after ending a five-game losing skid the Jets are still capable of rescuing their season.

From BBC

As days went by and dirt, dog waste and grime piled up in the Produce Hotel in Skid Row, Jermaine Staley broke into the janitorial closet.

From Los Angeles Times

After a failed bid downtown a decade ago, developer Leo Pustilnikov is on the verge of a massive real estate deal in Skid Row, adding to his large portfolio across Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drift
• glide
• slip
• swerve
• veer