Standard Lemma guide
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
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noun
Something very easy, where one can slack off without penalty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, informal
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An act of avoiding lessons or work.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A rotating iron disk coated with oil and diamond dust used to polish the facets of a diamond.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An angled cut or bevel at the edge of something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To avoid one's lessons or work (chiefly at school or university); shirk.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To pare or shave off the rough or thick parts of.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
remove the surface of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: shave
History
Probably from French esquiver (“slink away”), from Middle French esquiver (“to escape”), from Spanish esquivar (“to avoid, reject, elude”), from esquivo (“contemptuous, loathsome”), itself from Old French eschiver, of East Germanic origin, from Gothic *𐍃𐌺𐌹𐌿𐌷𐍃 (*skiuhs, “afraid, barefaced”), from Proto-Germanic *skeuhaz (“afraid, frightened”). Cognate with English shy, eschew.
Probably from Dutch schijf (“slice”), probably influenced by shive. Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skībǭ (“a shaving; slice”). Cognate to English shive, German Scheibe (“slice”), Old Norse skífa (“to cut into slices, slice”).
Across languages
25 source translations are retained for this English entry.
