v. & n.
v. (skimmed, skimming) 1 tr. a take scum or cream or a floating layer from the surface of (a liquid). b take (cream etc.) from the surface of a liquid. 2 tr. a keep touching lightly or nearly touching (a surface) in passing over. b deal with or treat (a subject) superficially. 3 intr. a (often foll. by over, along) go lightly over a surface, glide along in the air. b (foll. by over) = sense 2b of v. 4 a tr. read superficially, look over cursorily, gather the salient facts contained in. b intr. (usu. foll. by through) read or look over cursorily. 5 tr. US sl. conceal or divert (income) to avoid paying tax.
n. 1 the act or an instance of skimming. 2 a thin covering on a liquid (skim of ice). skim the cream off take the best part of. skim (or skimmed) milk milk from which the cream has been skimmed.
[ ME, back-form. f. SKIMMER ]