I. skid 1 /skɪd/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle skidded , present participle skidding ) [intransitive]
if a vehicle or a wheel on a vehicle skids, it suddenly slides sideways and you cannot control it:
The car skidded as she turned onto the highway.
skid on/into/across etc
The bus skidded off the road and into a ditch.
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THESAURUS
▪ slide to move smoothly over a surface while continuing to touch it:
The glass slid off the tray and crashed to the floor.
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The kids were having fun sliding around on the polished floor.
▪ slip to slide a short distance accidentally, and fall or lose your balance slightly:
Be careful you don’t slip on the ice.
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She slipped and broke her ankle.
▪ skid to slide sideways or forwards in a way that is difficult to control - used especially about a moving vehicle:
He slammed on the brakes and the car skidded to a halt.
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Go slowly in wet or icy weather, because it’s easy to skid.
▪ glide to move smoothly and quietly across water or a smooth surface, especially in a graceful way:
A swan was gliding across the lake.
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The ship glided into port.
▪ slither to slide in an awkward way, for example on a rough or muddy surface. Also used to describe the movement of a snake as it goes from side to side along the ground:
Tom slithered down the bank into the water.
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The snake slithered away and disappeared under a rock.
II. skid 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: Perhaps from a Scandinavian language ]
1 . SLIDING MOVEMENT a sudden sliding movement of a vehicle that you cannot control:
Turn the car towards the skid if you lose control of it.
He slammed on the brakes and we went into a long skid (=started to skid) .
2 . on the skids informal in a situation that is bad and getting worse:
He’s been on the skids since losing his job.
3 . put the skids under something British English informal to make it likely or certain that something will fail:
The recession put the skids under his plans for starting a new business.
4 . SPORT [usually singular] American English a period of time during which a person or team is not successful – used in news reports:
The Red Sox victory ended a six-game skid.
5 . AIRCRAFT a flat narrow part that is under some aircraft such as ↑ helicopter s , and is used in addition to wheels for landing
6 . USED TO LIFT/MOVE [usually plural] a piece of wood that is put under a heavy object to lift or move it