v. & n.
v. 1 tr. a strip the skin, rind, bark, wrapping, etc. from (a fruit, vegetable, tree, etc.). b (usu. foll. by off) strip (skin, peel, wrapping, etc.) from a fruit etc. 2 intr. a (of a tree, an animal's or person's body, a painted surface, etc.) become bare of bark, skin, paint, etc. b (often foll. by off) (of bark, a person's skin, paint, etc.) flake off. 3 intr. (often foll. by off) colloq. (of a person) strip for exercise etc. 4 tr. Croquet send (another player's ball) through the hoops.
n. the outer covering of a fruit, vegetable, prawn, etc.; rind. peel off 1 veer away and detach oneself from a group of marchers, a formation of aircraft, etc. 2 colloq. strip off one's clothes. peeler n. (in sense 1 of v.).
[ earlier pill, pele (orig. = plunder) f. ME pilien etc. f. OE pilian (unrecorded) f. L pilare f. pilus hair ]