Hypertext Webster Gateway: "skim"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Skim \Skim\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Skimmed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Skimming}.] [Cf. Sw. skymma to darken. [root]158. See
{Scum}.]
1. To clear (a liquid) from scum or substance floating or
lying thereon, by means of a utensil that passes just
beneath the surface; as, to skim milk; to skim broth.
2. To take off by skimming; as, to skim cream.
3. To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to
glide swiftly along the surface of.
Homer describes Mercury as flinging himself from the
top of Olympus, and skimming the surface of the
ocean. --Hazlitt.
4. Fig.: To read or examine superficially and rapidly, in
order to cull the principal facts or thoughts; as, to skim
a book or a newspaper.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Skim \Skim\, v. i.
1. To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course;
to glide along near the surface.
Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, Flies
o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main.
--Pope.
2. To hasten along with superficial attention.
They skim over a science in a very superficial
survey. --I. Watts.
3. To put on the finishing coat of plaster.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Skim \Skim\, a.
Contraction of {Skimming} and {Skimmed}.
{Skim coat}, the final or finishing coat of plaster.
{Skim colter}, a colter for paring off the surface of land.
{Skim milk}, skimmed milk; milk from which the cream has been
taken.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
skim
adj : used of milk and milk products from which the cream has been
removed; "yogurt made with skim milk"; "she can drink
skimmed milk but should avoid butter" [syn: {skimmed}]
n : reading or glancing through quickly [syn: {skimming}]
v 1: travel on the surface of water [syn: {plane}]
2: move or pass swiftly and lightly over the surface of [syn: {skim
over}]
3: examine hastily [syn: {scan}, {rake}, {glance over}, {run
down}]
4: cause to skip over a surface: "Skip a stone across the pond"
[syn: {skip}, {skitter}]
5: coat with a layer; of liquids
6: remove from the surface; "skim cream from the surface of
milk" [syn: {skim off}, {cream off}, {cream}]
7: read superficially [syn: {skim over}]
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