skimmer

American  

[skim-er] / ˈskɪm ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that skims: an adept stone skimmer.

   skimmers who just glance at the text;

   an adept stone skimmer.

2. a shallow utensil, usually perforated, used in skimming liquids.

3. an electronic device used surreptitiously to appropriate information from the magnetic strip on a credit or debit card for illegal use.

   Authorities have verified that skimmers were secretly installed at several local gas pumps.

4. any of several gull-like birds of the family Rynchopidae, that skim the water with the elongated lower mandible immersed while in search of food.

5. a stiff, wide-brimmed hat with a shallow flat crown, usually made of straw.

6. a woman's A-line dress with side darts that shape it slightly to the body.

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skimmer British  

/ ˈskɪmə /

noun

1. a person or thing that skims

2. any of several mainly tropical coastal aquatic birds of the genus Rhynchops, having long narrow wings and a bill with an elongated lower mandible for skimming food from the surface of the water: family Rynchopidae, order Charadriiformes

3. a flat perforated spoon used for skimming fat from liquids

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Etymology

Origin of skimmer

First recorded in 1350–1400; skim + -er ¹; replacing Middle English skemour, skymour, variants of schumour, from Middle French (e)scumoir “ladle for skimming”; scum

Related Words

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• headgear
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