peel

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To remove the skin or outer covering of.
2. (transitive) To remove something from the outer or top layer of.
3. (intransitive) To become detached, come away, especially in flakes or strips; to shed skin in such a way.
4. (intransitive) To remove one's clothing.
5. (intransitive) To move, separate (off or away).

Noun

1. (uncountable, usually) The skin or outer layer of a fruit, vegetable, etc.
2. (countable) The action of peeling away from a formation.
3. (countable) A cosmetic preparation designed to remove dead skin or to exfoliate.

Noun

1. (obsolete) A stake.
2. (obsolete) A fence made of stakes; a stockade.
3. (archaic) A small tower, fort, or castle; a keep.

Noun

1. 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.
2. A T-shaped implement used by printers and bookbinders for hanging wet sheets of paper on lines or poles to dry.
3. (US, archaic) The blade of an oar.

Noun

1. (Scotland) An equal or match; a draw.
2. A takeout which removes a stone from play as well as the delivered stone.

Noun

Alternative form of peal (“a small or young salmon”).

Synonyms

skin

shell

🐚

rind

bark

pare

husk

flay

hull

strip

scale

peel off

peeling

strip off

pod

flake off

crust

flake

remove skin

shuck

hide

paring

tear off

come off

take off

undress

disrobe

trim

remove

cut

zest

discase

pull

uncase

unclothe

strip down

scratch

skim

discover

detect

split

clear

deprive

shed

clean

cut into pieces

scrape

shave

starve

chip off

purloin

Translations

éplucher

sbucciare

pelar

schälen

peler

buccia

descascar

Schale

cáscara

schillen

pelare

pelure

piel

mondare

corteza

Pronounced as (IPA)

/piːl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: pelen

Inherited from Old English: pilian

Inherited from Middle English: pele

Cognate with French: pelle

In summary

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.