skive

See also šķīve, and šķīvē

English

Etymology

From Middle English *skive (“a shaving, slice”), from Old Norse skífa (“a shaving, slice”), related to English shive, German Scheibe (“slice”). Compare also Old Norse skífa (“to cut into slices, slice”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪv

Noun

skive (plural skives)

1. The iron lap used by diamond polishers in finishing the facets of the gem.
   • 2009, Nicoline van der Sijs, Cookies, Coleslaw, and Stoops: The Influence of Dutch on the North American Languages, page 93

     Thus, American diamond cutters would talk of a skive (after Dutch schijf), where their British colleagues would say disk or wheel.

Verb

skive (third-person singular simple present skives, present participle skiving, simple past and past participle skived)

1. To pare or shave off the rough or thick parts of (hides or leather).
2. (UK) To avoid one's lessons or, sometimes, work. Chiefly at school or university.
   • 2006, The Economist, Young offenders: Arrested development

     Truancies, rather bewilderingly, have risen among children on the programme; the government hopes this is because children skive more as they get older.

Derived terms

• skiver

Translations

To slack off

• German: schwänzen (de)

• Russian: сачковать (ru) (sačkovátʼ) n impf.