ski

[ skee ]

noun

, plural skis or, sometimes, 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, ski·ing.

1. to travel on skis, as for sport.

verb (used with object)

, skied, ski·ing.

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

   to ski the slopes of Switzerland.

ski

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈskiing, noun
• ˈskier, noun
• ˈskiable, adjective

Other Words From

• skia·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ski¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ski¹

C19: from Norwegian, from Old Norse skith snowshoes; related to Old English scīd piece of split wood

Example Sentences

He’d been given his as a gift for refereeing his grandkids’ ski races in the early aughts.

From Outside Online

Chris Keyes, editor I have two go-to ski lunches, depending on how much I rallied that morning.

From Outside Online

I get my skis waxed maybe twice a season, and I never knew that it was a petroleum-based product.

From Outside Online

The bunny slopes — the area of any ski resort specifically designed for beginners with wide, flat runs — frustrate Derek terribly and when his mother comes to pick him up, he tells her he never wants to ski again.

From Washington Post

I have a garage full of skis for different conditions and high hopes that I’ll be paying in-state tuition when my daughter goes to college.

From Outside Online

And Andorra is a tax haven with bargain luxury goods shopping and great ski slopes.

From The Daily Beast

Ski resorts are a business, and one that can be quite fickle—a bad snow season means poor revenues.

From The Daily Beast

Berkshire East ski resort near the Vermont border, which has 44 trails, has taken this power-production drive a step further.

From The Daily Beast

For aesthetic reasons, ski resort operators try to limit the noise and infrastructure associated with producing power.

From The Daily Beast

But only recently did this dispute spread to the lily-white slopes of a Montana ski resort.

From The Daily Beast

It beats what Mrs. Case told us about ski 127 running in Sweden, cried Jess, who was delighted with the experience.

From Project Gutenberg

The usual procedure was, that the forerunner selected the best crossing of a crevasse, testing it with a ski-stick.

From Project Gutenberg

Franz felt confident of his ability to keep up with them, for he had learned to ski almost as soon as he'd learned to walk.

From Project Gutenberg

Since that made the remaining ski useless, I threw both away and plowed through the snow.

From Project Gutenberg

He was not afraid of becoming lost or of breaking a ski, as Hermann Gottschalk had, probably when he blundered into a tree trunk.

From Project Gutenberg