ski

American  

[skee] / ski /

Rarely skee

noun

plural

skis,

plural

ski

1. one of a pair of long, slender runners made of wood, plastic, or metal used in gliding over snow.

2. water ski.

---

verb (used without object)

skied, skiing

1. to travel on skis, as for sport.

verb (used with object)

skied, skiing

1. to use skis on; travel on skis over.

   to ski the slopes of Switzerland.

ski British  

/ skiː /

noun

1. 1. one of a pair of wood, metal, or plastic runners that are used for gliding over snow. Skis are commonly attached to shoes for sport, but may also be used as landing gear for aircraft, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a ski boot

2. a water-ski

---

verb

1. (intr) to travel on skis

Other Word Forms

• skiable adjective
• skier noun
• skiing noun

Etymology

Origin of ski

First recorded in 1745–55; from Norwegian; Old Norse skīth; cognate with Old English scīd “strip of wood,” German Scheit “thin board”

Explanation

Skis are sporting equipment—long, thin pieces of wood, plastic, or metal that you strap to your feet so you can glide across the snow or down a snowy hill. To slide down a mountain on skis is to ski. You can also cross country ski, or move across flat, snowy ground and gentle hills on skis. The special boots that skiers wear are called ski boots, and you also need a ski helmet and ski goggles when you go skiing. In its earliest English use, the word was spelled skee, and it's rooted in the Old Norse skið, "long snowshoe."

Example Sentences

Just outside Boise, Idaho, a home owned by a onetime Winter Olympian near the Bogus Basin ski resort is hitting the market for $6.8 million.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Unable to depend on natural snowfall, about 80 percent of ski areas in the Southeast and Midwest, nearly 50 percent in the Northeast, and 10 percent in the West now rely on snowmaking.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

In subsequent years, Whittaker went on ski vacations with the Kennedys, was a guest at the family compound in Hyannis Port, Mass., and hosted gatherings in Seattle that included mountain climbing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

A former fire safety official in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana remained silent when questioned Wednesday by prosecutors investigating a deadly New Year blaze, his lawyer said.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

“It's a ski resort, but it's not pretentious. In Jackson, they say people who go to Aspen expect somebody to tie their ski boots up for them,” Georgina said.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie