2 N‑UNCOUNT Skittles is a game in which players try to knock over as many skittles as they can out of a group of nine by rolling a ball at them. [mainly BRIT ]
skive /ska I v/ (skives , skiving , skived ) VERB If you skive , you avoid working, especially by staying away from the place where you should be working. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V ] The company treated me as though I were skiving. ● PHRASAL VERB Skive off means the same as skive . □ [V P ] 'I absolutely hated school,' Rachel says. 'I skived off all the time.' □ [V P n] Almost everybody's kids skive off school.
skul|dug|gery /skʌldʌ gəri/ N‑UNCOUNT Skulduggery is behaviour in which someone acts in a dishonest way in order to achieve their aim. [WRITTEN ] □ …accusations of political skulduggery.
skulk /skʌ lk/ (skulks , skulking , skulked ) VERB If you skulk somewhere, you hide or move around quietly because you do not want to be seen. □ [V prep/adv] You, meanwhile, will be skulking in the safety of the car.
skull /skʌ l/ (skulls ) N‑COUNT Your skull is the bony part of your head which encloses your brain. □ Her husband was later treated for a fractured skull.
sku ll and cro ss|bones N‑SING A skull and crossbones is a picture of a human skull above a pair of crossed bones which warns of death or danger. It used to appear on the flags of pirate ships and is now sometimes found on containers holding poisonous substances. □ Skull and crossbones stickers on the drums aroused the suspicion of the customs officers.
sku ll cap (skull caps ) also skullcap N‑COUNT A skull cap is a small close-fitting cap.
skunk /skʌ ŋk/ (skunks )
1 N‑COUNT A skunk is a small black and white animal which releases an unpleasant smelling liquid if it is frightened or attacked. Skunks live in America.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Skunk is a type of powerful, strong-smelling marijuana. [INFORMAL ]
sky ◆◇◇ /ska I / (skies )
1 N‑VAR The sky is the space around the Earth which you can see when you stand outside and look upwards. □ The sun is already high in the sky. □ …warm sunshine and clear blue skies.
2 pie in the sky → see pie
sky -blue COLOUR Something that is sky-blue is a very pale blue in colour. □ Her silk shirtdress was sky-blue, the colour of her eyes.
sky|div|er /ska I da I və r / (skydivers ) also sky diver N‑COUNT A skydiver is someone who goes skydiving.
sky|div|ing /ska I da I v I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Skydiving is the sport of jumping out of an aeroplane and falling freely through the air before opening your parachute.
sky -hi gh ADJ If you say that prices or confidence are sky-high , you are emphasizing that they are at a very high level. [EMPHASIS ] □ Christie said: 'My confidence is sky high.' □ …the effect of falling house prices and sky-high interest rates. ● ADV [ADV after v] Sky high is also an adverb. □ Their prestige went sky high.
sky|lark /ska I lɑː r k/ (skylarks ) N‑COUNT A skylark is a small brown bird that sings while flying high above the ground.
sky|light /ska I la I t/ (skylights ) N‑COUNT A skylight is a window in a roof.
sky|line /ska I la I n/ (skylines ) N‑COUNT The skyline is the line or shape that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land. □ The village church dominates the skyline.
sky mar|shal (sky marshals ) N‑COUNT A sky marshal is an armed security guard who travels on passenger flights. [mainly AM ]
Skype /ska I p/ (Skypes , Skyping , Skyped ) N‑UNCOUNT Skype is a computer program that you can use to make voice calls or video calls on the internet. [TRADEMARK ] □ Catch up with your American cousins or chat to your friend on her travels around India, on Skype. ● VERB Skype is also a verb. □ [V n] I Skyped Emma while she was in LA. □ [V with ] My parents and I Skype with my sister, who is living in the UK. □ [V ] Since then we've Skyped and emailed loads.
sky|rocket /ska I rɒk I t/ (skyrockets , skyrocketing , skyrocketed ) VERB If prices or amounts skyrocket , they suddenly increase by a very large amount. □ [V ] Production has dropped while prices and unemployment have skyrocketed. □ [V -ing] …the skyrocketing costs of health care.
sky|scraper /ska I skre I pə r / (skyscrapers ) N‑COUNT A skyscraper is a very tall building in a city.
sky|ward /ska I wə r d/ also skywards ADV [ADV after v] If you look skyward or skywards , you look up towards the sky. [LITERARY ] □ He pointed skywards.
slab /slæ b/ (slabs ) N‑COUNT A slab of something is a thick, flat piece of it. □ [+ of ] …slabs of stone. □ …huge concrete paving slabs.
slack /slæ k/ (slacker , slackest , slacks , slacking , slacked )
1 ADJ Something that is slack is loose and not firmly stretched or tightly in position. □ The boy's jaw went slack.
2 ADJ A slack period is one in which there is not much work or activity. □ The workload can be evened out, instead of the shop having busy times and slack periods.
3 ADJ Someone who is slack in their work does not do it properly. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Many publishers have simply become far too slack. ● slack|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He accused the government of slackness and complacency.