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ski

(skē)

n. pl. skis

a. One of a pair of long flat runners of plastic, metal, or wood that curve upward in front and may be attached to a boot for gliding or traveling over snow.

b. A water ski.

2. Something that is used as a runner on a vehicle: a helicopter with skis for landing on snow and ice.

v. skied, ski·ing, skis

v.intr.

To travel or glide on skis, especially as a sport.

v.tr.

To travel or glide over on skis: ski a mountain slope.

Idiom:

over one's skis

Hasty, rash, or overambitious.

[Norwegian, from Old Norse skīdh, stick, snowshoe; see skei- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

skia·ble adj.

skier n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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