Standard Lemma guide

skew

adj · adv · noun · verb · 25 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /skjuː/
  • British, Southern, Standard: /skjʉw/
  • General-American: /skju/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uː
  • homophone: SKU
  • CMU ARPABET: S K Y UW1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Neither parallel nor perpendicular to a certain line; askew.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, usually

Examples

  • a skew arch

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of two lines in three-dimensional space: neither intersecting nor parallel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, usually

Topics: geometry, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of a distribution: asymmetrical about its mean.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: comparable, not-comparable, usually

Topics: mathematics, sciences, statistics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

Askew, obliquely; awry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Something that has an oblique or slanted position.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An oblique or sideways movement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A squint or sidelong glance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A kind of wooden vane or cowl in a chimney which revolves according to the direction of the wind and prevents smoking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A piece of rock lying in a slanting position and tapering upwards which overhangs a working-place in a mine and is liable to fall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A bias or distortion in a particular direction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

A phenomenon in synchronous digital circuit systems (such as computers) in which the same sourced clock signal arrives at different components at different times.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, electronics, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

A state of asymmetry in a distribution; skewness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences, statistics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

A stone at the foot of the slope of a gable, the offset of a buttress, etc., cut with a sloping surface and with a check to receive the coping stones and retain them in place; a skew-corbel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: architecture

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

The coping of a gable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland

Topics: architecture

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

noun

Meaning 15

One of the stones placed over the end of a gable, or forming the coping of a gable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: architecture

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

noun

Meaning 16

A thick drizzling rain or driving mist.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Cornwall

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To form or shape in an oblique way; to cause to take an oblique position.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unskew

18

verb

Meaning 18

To form or shape in an oblique way; to cause to take an oblique position.

To cause (a distribution) to be asymmetrical.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: mathematics, sciences, statistics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unskew

19

verb

Meaning 19

To bias or distort in a particular direction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • A disproportionate number of female subjects in the study group skewed the results.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: color

Antonyms: none provided

20

verb

Meaning 20

To hurl or throw.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Northumbria, Yorkshire, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bung, cast, chuck, chunk, cook, dash, dump, feck, fling, jerk, heave, hield, hoy, huck, hurl, hurtle, launch, lob, peck, peg, pick, pitch, precipitate, project, quoit, shy, slight, skew, sling, thrill, throw, toss, traject, warp, whang, whip, whop, wing, yeet

Antonyms: none provided

21

verb

Meaning 21

To move obliquely; to move sideways, to sidle; to lie obliquely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

22

verb

Meaning 22

To jump back or sideways in fear or surprise; to shy, as a horse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

23

verb

Meaning 23

To look at obliquely; to squint; hence, to look slightingly or suspiciously.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

24

adjective satellite

Meaning 24

having an oblique or slanting direction or position

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the picture was skew

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: skewed

Antonyms: none provided

25

verb

Meaning 25

turn or place at an angle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the lines on the sheet of paper are skewed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: align

Broader terms: reorient

History

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English skeuen, skewe, skewen (“to run at an angle or obliquely; to escape”), from Old Northern French escuer [and other forms], variants of Old French eschuer, eschever, eschiver (“to escape, flee; to avoid”) (modern French esquiver (“to dodge (a blow), duck; to elude, evade; to slip away; to sidestep”)), from Frankish *skiuhan (“to dread; to avoid, shun”), from Proto-Germanic *skiuhijaną (“to frighten”). The English word is cognate with Catalan esquiu (“evasive, shy”), Danish skæv (“crooked, slanting; skew, wry”) (> Norwegian Bokmål skjev), Dutch scheef (“crooked, slanting”), Norwegian skeiv (“crooked, lopsided; oblique, slanting; distorted”), Saterland Frisian skeeuw (“aslant, slanting; oblique; awry”), and is a doublet of eschew. The adjective and adverb are probably derived from the verb and/or from askew, and the noun is derived from either the adjective or the verb.

From Middle English skeu, skew (“stone with a sloping surface forming the slope of a gable, offset of a buttress, etc.”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman eschu, escuwe, eskeu, or Old Northern French eschieu, eskieu, eskiu, from Old French escu, escut, eschif (“a shield”) (modern French écu), from Latin scūtum (“a shield”), from Proto-Indo-European *skewH- (“to cover, protect”) or *skey- (“to cut, split”).

Perhaps from a Cornish word, though the closest Cornish word is kuas/cwas, which would require much phonological modification; thus, perhaps instead simply from the skewed angle wind may drive such rain to fall in.

Across languages

Translations

100 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: кос (kos) — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Czech: šikmý — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Danish: skæv — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Dutch: scheef — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Estonian: kald — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Faroese: skeivur — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Finnish: vino — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • French: gauche — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • French: oblique — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • German: schief — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • German: schräg — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • German: windschief — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Hungarian: ferde — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Hungarian: döntött — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Hungarian: rézsútos — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Italian: obliquo — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Italian: sghembo — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Italian: trasversale — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Polish: skośny — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Portuguese: assimétrico — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Romanian: oblic — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Slovak: kosý — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Slovak: šikmý — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Spanish: asimétrico — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Spanish: oblicuo — neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line
  • Finnish: vino — of two lines in three-dimensional space: neither intersecting nor parallel
  • Romanian: necoplanare — of two lines in three-dimensional space: neither intersecting nor parallel
  • Russian: скрещивающиеся (skreščivajuščijesja) — of two lines in three-dimensional space: neither intersecting nor parallel
  • Bulgarian: асиметричен (asimetričen) — of a distribution: asymmetrical about its mean
  • Finnish: vino — of a distribution: asymmetrical about its mean
  • Hungarian: torz — of a distribution: asymmetrical about its mean
  • Persian: چوله (čowle) — of a distribution: asymmetrical about its mean
  • Hungarian: ferdeség — something that has an oblique or slanted position
  • Hungarian: rézsútosság — something that has an oblique or slanted position
  • Finnish: vino liike — oblique or sideways movement
  • Hungarian: dőlés — oblique or sideways movement
  • Bulgarian: отклонение (otklonenie) — bias or distortion in a particular direction
  • Finnish: vinouma — bias or distortion in a particular direction
  • Hungarian: torzítás — bias or distortion in a particular direction
  • Finnish: vääristymä — phenomenon in synchronous digital circuit systems in which the same sourced clock signal arrives at different components at different times
  • Finnish: luiskattu kivi — stone with a sloping surface at the foot of the slope of a gable, etc.
  • Bulgarian: изкривявам (izkrivjavam) — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Finnish: tehdä vinoksi — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Finnish: muotoilla vinoksi — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Finnish: vinouttaa — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • French: incliner — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • German: verfälschen — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Hungarian: ferdít — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Hungarian: elferdít — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Hungarian: dönt — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Hungarian: megdönt — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Hungarian: ferdén helyez el — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Serbo-Croatian: nakositi — to form or shape in an oblique way
  • Finnish: vinouttaa — to cause (a distribution) to be asymmetrical
  • Hungarian: torzít — to cause (a distribution) to be asymmetrical
  • Hungarian: eltorzít — to cause (a distribution) to be asymmetrical
  • Bulgarian: отклонявам (otklonjavam) — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Czech: zkreslit — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Dutch: afleiden — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Estonian: kallutama — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Finnish: vinouttaa — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Finnish: kallistaa — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Finnish: vääristää — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • French: biaiser — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • German: ablenken — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Hungarian: torzít — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Hungarian: eltorzít — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Hungarian: elferdít — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Hungarian: manipulál — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Italian: distorcere — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Portuguese: distorcer — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Portuguese: enviesar — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Russian: отклоня́ться (otklonjátʹsja) — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Serbo-Croatian: nakositi — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Serbo-Croatian: nagnuti — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Serbo-Croatian: otkloniti — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Slovak: odchýliť — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Slovak: odkloniť — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Slovak: prikloniť — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Slovak: skresliť — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Swedish: förvränga — to bias or distort in a particular direction
  • Finnish: liikkua vinossa — to move obliquely
  • Finnish: liikkua vinosti — to move obliquely
  • Hungarian: ferdül — to move obliquely
  • Hungarian: elferdül — to move obliquely
  • Hungarian: dől — to move obliquely
  • Hungarian: megdől — to move obliquely
  • Serbo-Croatian: ići koso — to move obliquely
  • Bulgarian: отдръпвам се (otdrǎpvam se) — to jump back or sideways in fear or surprise
  • Finnish: säpsähtää — to jump back or sideways in fear or surprise
  • Finnish: hypähtää — to jump back or sideways in fear or surprise
  • French: sursauter — to jump back or sideways in fear or surprise
  • Serbo-Croatian: odskočiti — to jump back or sideways in fear or surprise
  • Bulgarian: гледам накриво (gledam nakrivo) — to look at obliquely
  • Finnish: katsoa kieroon — to look at obliquely
  • French: loucher — to look at obliquely
  • Hungarian: ferdén — to look at obliquely
  • Hungarian: sandán — to look at obliquely
  • Hungarian: görbe szemmel néz — to look at obliquely
  • Serbo-Croatian: gledati iskosa — to look at obliquely