peel
//piːl//
Forms
- present (v1)
- peel
- past (v2)
- peeled
- past participle (v3)
- peeled
- present participle
- peeling
- 3rd person singular
- peels
- Plural
- peels
Definitions
1.To remove the skin or outer covering of.
- The skillful shepherd peeled me certain wands.
- I sat by my sister's bed, peeling oranges for her.
2.To remove something from the outer or top layer of.
- I peeled (the skin from) a banana and ate it hungrily.
- We peeled the old wallpaper off in strips where it was hanging loose.
3.To become detached, come away, especially in flakes or strips; to shed skin in such a way.
- I had been out in the sun too long, and my nose was starting to peel.
4.To remove one's clothing.
- The children peeled by the side of the lake and jumped in.
1.The skin or outer layer of a fruit, vegetable, etc.
2.A cosmetic preparation designed to remove dead skin or to exfoliate.
3.A shovel or similar instrument, now especially a pole with a flat disc at the end used for removing pizza or loaves of bread from a baker's oven.
4.The action of peeling away from a formation.
Frequency
Overall
Rare· #4924
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Rare
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English pelen, from Old English pilian and Old French peler, pellier; both from Latin pilō, pilāre (“to remove hair from, depilate”), from pilus (“hair”).
Doublet of pill.