I. skip 1 /skɪp/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle skipped , present participle skipping )
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Origin: Perhaps from a Scandinavian language ]
1 . NOT DO SOMETHING [transitive] informal to not do something that you usually do or that you should do SYN miss :
She skipped lunch in order to go shopping.
Williams skipped the game to be with his wife in the hospital.
skip school/class especially American English :
He skipped chemistry class three times last month.
2 . NOT DEAL WITH SOMETHING [intransitive and transitive] to not read, mention, or deal with something that would normally come or happen next:
I decided to skip the first chapter.
skip to
Let’s skip to the last item on the agenda.
skip over
I suggest we skip over the details and get to the point.
3 . CHANGE SUBJECTS [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to go from one subject to another in no fixed order
skip about/around/from
It’s difficult to have a conversation with her because she skips from one topic to another.
4 . MOVEMENT [intransitive] to move forward with quick steps and jumps
skip across/along etc
He turned and skipped away, singing happily to himself.
5 .
JUMP OVER A ROPE [intransitive] to jump over a rope as you swing it over your head and under your feet, as a game or for exercise SYN jump rope American English
6 . skip town/skip the country informal to leave a place suddenly and secretly, especially to avoid being punished or paying debts:
Then they found that Zaffuto had already skipped town.
7 . skip it! informal especially American English used to say angrily and rudely that you do not want to talk about something:
‘Sorry, what were you saying?’ ‘Oh, skip it!’
8 . skip rocks/stones American English to throw smooth flat stones into a lake, river etc in a way that makes them jump across the surface SYN skim British English
9 . BALL [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a ball or something similar skips off a surface, it quickly moves away from that surface after hitting it – used especially in news reports
skip off/along/across etc
The ball skipped off Bond’s glove and bounced toward the fence.
10 . skip a year/grade to start a new school year in a class that is one year ahead of the class you would normally enter
⇨ sb’s heart skips a beat at ↑ heart
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ jump verb [intransitive and transitive] to push yourself up into the air, over something etc, using your legs:
The cat jumped up onto the table.
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He jumped over the stream.
|
His horse jumped the fence successfully.
▪ skip verb [intransitive] to move forwards with little jumps between your steps, especially because you are feeling happy:
The little girl was skipping down the street.
▪ hop verb [intransitive] to jump or move around on one leg:
He was hopping around because he’d injured his foot.
▪ leap verb [intransitive and transitive] especially written to suddenly jump up high or a long way:
The deer leapt over the fence.
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Tina leapt onto the boat as it was moving away.
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Fish were leaping out of the water.
▪ bounce verb [intransitive] to jump up and down several times, especially on something that has springs in it:
Children love bouncing on beds.
▪ dive verb [intransitive] to jump into water with your head and arms first:
Zoë dived into the swimming pool.
▪ vault /vɔːlt $ vɒːlt/ verb [intransitive and transitive] especially written to jump over something in one movement, using your hands or a pole to help you:
He vaulted the ticket barrier and ran for the exit.
|
Ben tried to vault over the bar.
skip off British English , skip out American English phrasal verb
to leave suddenly and secretly, especially in order to avoid being punished or paying money:
He skipped off without paying.
skip off on American English :
Tenants who skip out on utility bills are the focus of a new law.
Joel skipped out on his wife when she was 8 months pregnant.
II. skip 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a skipping movement
2 . British English a large container for bricks, wood, and similar heavy waste SYN dumpster American English