Part 449

Savages . . . who skirt along our western frontiers.

S. S. Smith.

Skirt"ing, n. 1. (Arch.) A skirting board. [R.]

2. Skirts, taken collectivelly; material for skirts.

Skirting board, the board running around a room on the wall next the floor; baseboard.

Skit (?), v. t. [Prov. E. skitto slide, as adj., hasty, precipitate, of Scand. origin, and akin to E. shoot, v.t.; cf. Icel. skyti, skytja, skytta, a marksman, shooter, skjta to shoot, skta a taunt. √159. See Shoot.] To cast reflections on; to asperse. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Crose.

Skit, n. 1. A reflection; a jeer or gibe; a sally; a brief satire; a squib. Tooke.

A similar vein satire upon the emptiness of writers is given in his "Tritical Essay upon the Faculties of the Human Mind;" but that is a mere skit compared with this strange performance.

Leslie Stephen.

2. A wanton girl; a light wench. [Obs.]

Skit"tish (?), a. [See Skit, v. t.] 1. Easily frightened; timorous; shy; untrustworthy; as, a skittish colt. "A restiff, skittish jade." L'Estrange.

2. Wanton; restive; freakish; volatile; changeable; fickle. "Skittish Fortune's hall." Shak.

-- Skit"tish*ly, adv. -- Skit"tish*ness, n.

Skit"tle (?), a. Pertaining to the game of skittles.

Skittle alley, an alley or court in which the game of skittles is played. -- Skittle ball, a disk or flattish ball of wood for throwing at the pins in the game of skittles.

Skit"tle-dog` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The piked dogfish.

Skit"tles (?), n. pl. [Of Scand. origin. √159. See Shoot, v. t., and cf. Shuttle, Skit, v. t.] An English game resembling ninepins, but played by throwing wooden disks, instead of rolling balls, at the pins.

Skit"ty (?), n. [Cf. Skittish.] (Zoöl.) A rail; as, the water rail (called also skitty cock, and skitty coot); the spotted crake (Porzana maruetta), and the moor hen. [Prov. Eng.]

Skive (?), n. [Cf. Icel. skfa a shaving, slice, E. shive, sheave.] The iron lap used by diamond polishers in finishing the facets of the gem.

Skive (?), v. t. To pare or shave off the rough or thick parts of (hides or leather).

Skiv"er (?), n. [Cf. Skewer, Shiver a fragment.] 1. An inferior quality of leather, made of split sheepskin, tanned by immersion in sumac, and dyed. It is used for hat linings, pocketbooks, bookbinding, etc.

2. The cutting tool or machine used in splitting leather or skins, as sheepskins.

Ski"ving (?), n. 1. The act of paring or splitting leather or skins.

2. A piece made in paring or splitting leather; specifically, the part from the inner, or flesh, side.

Sklayre (?), n. [Cf. G. schleier.] A vell. [Obs.]

Sklere (?), v. t. To shelter; to cover. [Obs.]

{ Skol"e*cite (?), Skol"e*zite (?) }, n. (Min.) See Scolecite.

Skonce (?), n. See Sconce.