peeling

American  

[pee-ling] / ˈpi lɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that peels. peel.

2. that which is peeled peel from something, as a piece of the skin or rind of a fruit.

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peeling British  

/ ˈpiːlɪŋ /

noun

1. a strip of skin, rind, bark, etc, that has been peeled off

   a potato peeling

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Other Word Forms

• unpeeling adjective

Etymology

Origin of peeling

First recorded in 1555–65; peel ¹ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

“Every situation is slightly different, and you have to start peeling the onion,” Smith said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

The room, with its cracks and peeling paint in sharp focus, is more certifiably there than the vague, transient human figure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

“Apartment Window” is nearly abstract, sandwiching a constellation of peeling, sun-bleached cartoon stickers between a reflected sunset and the stripes of vertical blinds.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

Or maybe you love what a little ginger does to soups or oatmeal but resent the peeling and grating it demands.

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2026

“I did once I found it,” she says as she starts walking around the outer edge of the space, peeling off what look like curls of paper from some of the trees as she goes.

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• crust
• husk
• skin