Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SKAT-ING, ppr.

Sliding or moving on skates.

SKEAN, n. [Sax. sægen.]

A short sword, or a knife. [Not its use.] – Bacon. Spenser.

SKEED, n. [See SKID.]

SKEEL, n. [G. schale, Eng. shell.]

A shallow wooden vessel far holding milk or cream. [Local.] – Grose.

SKEET, n.

A long scoop used to wet the sides of ships or the sails. – Mar. Dict.

SKEG, n.

A sort of wild plum. – Johnson.

SKEG'GER, n.

A little salmon. – Walton.

SKEL'E-TON, n. [Fr. squelette; It. scheletro; Sp. esqueleto; Gr. σκελετος, dry, from σκελλω, to dry, that is, to contract; allied perhaps to L. calleo, callus.]

1. The bones of an animal body, separated from the flesh and retained in their natural position or connections. When the bones are connected by the natural ligaments, it is called a natural skeleton; when by wires, or any foreign substance, an artificial skeleton. – Encyc. Wistar.
2. The campages, general structure or frame of any thing; the principal parts that support the rest, but without the appendages.
3. A very thin or lean person.

SKEL'LUM, n. [G. schelm.]

A scoundrel. [Not in use.]

SKEL'LY, v.i.

To squint. – Brocket.

SKEP, n.

1. A sort of basket, narrow at the bottom and wide at the top. [Not used in America.] – Tusser.
2. In Scotland, the repository in which bees lay their honey. – Johnson.

SKEP'TIC, or SKEP'TIC-AL, a.

1. Doubting; hesitating to admit the certainty of doctrines or principles; doubting of every thing.
2. Doubting or denying the truth of revelation. The skeptical system subverts the whole foundation of morals. – Rob. Hall.

SKEP'TIC, n. [Gr. σκεπτικος, from σκεπτομαι, to look about, to consider, to speculate; Sax. sceawian, to look about, to see, also to show. See Show.]

1. One who doubts the truth and reality of any principle or system of principles or doctrines. In philosophy, a Pyrrhonist or follower of Pyrrho, the founder of a sect of skeptical philosophers, who maintained that no certain inferences can be drawn from the reports of the senses, and who therefore doubted of every thing. – Enfield.
2. In theology, a person who doubts the existence and perfections of God, or the truth of revelation; one who disbelieves the divine original of the Christian religion. Suffer not your faith to be shaken by the sophistries of skeptics. – Clarke.

SKEP'TIC-AL-LY, adv.

With doubt; in a doubting manner.

SKEP'TI-CISM, n. [Fr. scepticisme.]

1. The doctrines and opinions of the Pyrrhonists or skeptical philosophers; universal doubt; the scheme of philosophy which denies the certainty of any knowledge respecting the phenomena of nature.
2. In theology, a doubting of the truth of revelation, or a denial of the divine origin of the Christian religion, or of the being, perfections or truth of God. Irreligious skepticism or atheistic profaneness. – Milner. Let no despondency or timidity or secret skepticism lead any one to doubt whether this blessed prospect will be realized. – S. Miller.

SKEP'TI-CIZE, v.i.

To doubt; to pretend to doubt of every thing. [Little used.] – Shaftesbury.

SKER'RY, n.

A rocky isle.

SKETCH, n. [D. schets; G. skizze; Fr. esquisse; Sp. esquicio; It. schizzo, a sketch, a squirting, a spurt, a gushing, a leap, hop or frisking; schizzare, to squirt, to spin, stream or spout. We see the primary sense of the verb is to throw, the sense of shoot, It. scattare, L. scateo.]

An outline or general delineation of any thing; a first rough or incomplete draught of a plan or any design; as, the sketch of a building; the sketch of an essay.

SKETCH, v.t.

1. To draw the outline or general figure of thing; to make a rough draught. – Watts.
2. To plan by giving the principal points or ideas. – Dryden.

SKETCH'ED, pp.

Having the outline drawn.

SKETCH'I-NESS, n.

State of being sketchy.

SKETCH'ING, ppr.

Drawing the outline.

SKETCH'Y, a.

Containing slight sketches; or resembling sketches.

SKEW, adv. [G. schief; Dan. skiæv.]

Awry; obliquely. [See Askew.]

SKEW, v.i.

To walk obliquely. [Local.]