v.
(skims, skimming, skimmed)
- remove (a substance) from the surface of a liquid.
- move quickly and lightly over or on a surface or through the air.
▸throw (a flat stone) so that it bounces several times on the surface of water.
- read (something) quickly, noting only the important points.
▸
(skim over)
deal with or treat briefly or superficially.
- informal steal or embezzle (money) in small amounts over a period of time.
-
[usu. as noun skimming]
fraudulently copy (credit or debit card details) with a card swipe or other device.
n.
- a thin layer of a substance on the surface of a liquid.
- an act of reading something quickly or superficially.
Etymology
ME: back-form. from skimmer, or from OFr. escumer, from escume ‘scum, foam’.