Chapter 57

Syn. -- Dexterity; adroitness; expertness; art; aptitude; ability. -- Skill, Dexterity, Adroitness. Skill is more intelligent, denoting familiar knowledge united to readiness of performance. Dexterity, when applied to the body, is more mechanical, and refers to habitual ease of execution. Adroitness involves the same image with dexterity, and differs from it as implaying a general facility of movement (especially in avoidance of danger or in escaping from a difficalty). The same distinctions apply to the figurative sense of the words. A man is skillful in any employment when he understands both its theory and its practice. He is dexterous when he maneuvers with great lightness. He is adroit in the use od quick, sudden, and well-directed movements of the body or the mind, so as to effect the object he has in view.

Skill (?), v. t. To know; to understand. [Obs.]

To skill the arts of expressing our mind.

Barrow.

Skill, v. i. 1. To be knowing; to have understanding; to be dexterous in performance. [Obs.]

I can not skill of these thy ways.

Herbert.

2. To make a difference; to signify; to matter; -- used impersonally. Spenser.

What skills it, if a bag of stones or gold About thy neck do drown thee?

Herbert.

It skills not talking of it.

Sir W. Scott.

Skilled (?), a. Having familiar knowledge united with readiness and dexterity in its application; familiarly acquainted with; expert; skillful; -- often followed by in; as, a person skilled in drawing or geometry.

Skil"let (?), n. [OF. escuelette, dim. of escuelle a porringer, F. ecuelle, fr. L. scutella, dim. of scutra, scuta, a dish. Cf. Scuttle a basket.] A small vessel of iron, copper, or other metal, with a handle, used for culinary purpose, as for stewing meat.

Skill"ful (?), a. [Written also skilful.] 1. Discerning; reasonable; judicious; cunning. [Obs.] "Of skillful judgment." Chaucer.

2. Possessed of, or displaying, skill; knowing and ready; expert; well-versed; able in management; as, a skillful mechanic; -- often followed by at, in, or of; as, skillful at the organ; skillful in drawing.

And they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skillful of lamentations to wailing.

Amos v. 16.

Syn. -- Expert; skilled; dexterous; adept; masterly; adroit; clever; cunning.

-- Skill"ful*ly, adv. -- Skill"ful*ness, n.

Skil`li*ga*lee" (?), n. A kind of thin, weak broth or oatmeal porridge, served out to prisoners and paupers in England; also, a drink made of oatmeal, sugar, and water, sometimes used in the English navy or army. [Written also skilligolee, skillygalee, etc.]

Skil"ling (?), n. [Cf. Sheeling.] A bay of a barn; also, a slight addition to a cottage. [Prov. Eng.]

Skil"ling, n. [Sw. & Dan. See Shilling.] A money od account in Sweden, Norwey, Denmark, and North Germany, and also a coin. It had various values, from three fourths of a cent in Norway to more than two cents in Lübeck.

Skill"-less, a. Wanting skill. Shak.

Skilts (?), n. pl. A kind of large, coarse, short trousers formerly worn. [Local, U. S.] Bartlett.

Skil"ty (?), n. The water rail. [Prov. Eng.]

Skim (skm), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skimmed (skmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Skimming.] [Cf. Sw. skymma to darken. √158. See Scum.] 1. To clear (a liquid) from scum or substance floating or lying thereon, by means of a utensil that passes just beneath the surface; as, to skim milk; to skim broth.

2. To take off by skimming; as, to skim cream.

3. To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of.

Homer describes Mercury as flinging himself from the top of Olympus, and skimming the surface of the ocean.

Hazlitt.

4. Fig.: To read or examine superficially and rapidly, in order to cull the principal facts or thoughts; as, to skim a book or a newspaper.

Skim, v. i. 1. To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.

Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main.

Pope.

2. To hasten along with superficial attention.

They skim over a science in a very superficial survey.

I. Watts.

3. To put on the finishing coat of plaster.

Skim, a. Contraction of Skimming and Skimmed.

Skim coat, the final or finishing coat of plaster. -- Skim colter, a colter for paring off the surface of land. -- Skim milk, skimmed milk; milk from which the cream has been taken.

Skim, n. Scum; refuse. Bryskett.

Skim"back` (skm"bk`), n. (Zoöl.) The quillback. [Local, U.S.]

Skim"ble-scam`ble (?), a. [A reduplication of scamble.] Rambling; disorderly; unconnected. [Colloq.]

Such a deal of skimble-scamble stuff.

Shak.

Skim"i*try (?), n. See Skimmington.

Skim"mer (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, skims; esp., a utensil with which liquids are skimmed.

2. (Zoöl.) Any species of longwinged marine birds of the genus Rhynchops, allied to the terns, but having the lower mandible compressed and much longer than the upper one. These birds fly rapidly along the surface of the water, with the lower mandible immersed, thus skimming out small fishes. The American species (R. nigra) is common on the southern coasts of the United States. Called also scissorbill, and shearbill.

3. (Zoöl.) Any one of several large bivalve shells, sometimes used for skimming milk, as the sea clams, and large scallops.

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Skim"mer*ton (?), n. See Skimmington.

Skim"ming (?), n. 1. The act of one who skims.

2. That which is skimmed from the surface of a liquid; -- chiefly used in the plural; as, the skimmings of broth.

Skim"ming*ly, adv. In a skimming manner.

Skim"ming*ton (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain. Perhaps the name of some notorius scold.] A word employed in the phrase, To ride Skimmington; that is to ride on a horse with a woman, but behind her, facing backward, carrying a distaff, and accompanied by a procession of jeering neighbors making mock music; a cavalcade in ridicule of a henpecked man. The custom was in vogue in parts of England.

Skimp (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skimped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skimping.] [Cf. Skinch, Scamp, v. t.] 1. To slight; to do carelessly; to scamp. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

2. To make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

Skimp, v. i. To save; to be parsimonious or niggardly. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Skimp, a. Scanty. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Skin (?), n. [Icel. skinn; akin to Sw. skinn, Dan. skind, AS. scinn, G. schined to skin.] 1. (Anat.) The external membranous integument of an animal.

In man, and the vertebrates generally, the skin consist of two layers, an outer nonsensitive and nonvascular epidermis, cuticle, or skarfskin, composed of cells which are constantly growing and multiplying in the deeper, and being thrown off in the superficial, layers; and an inner sensitive, and vascular dermis, cutis, corium, or true skin, composed mostly of connective tissue.

2. The hide of an animal, separated from the body, whether green, dry, or tanned; especially, that of a small animal, as a calf, sheep, or goat.

3. A vessel made of skin, used for holding liquids. See Bottle, 1. "Skins of wine." Tennyson.

4. The bark or husk of a plant or fruit; the exterior coat of fruits and plants.

5. (Naut.) (a) That part of a sail, when furled, which remains on the outside and covers the whole. Totten. (b) The covering, as of planking or iron plates, outside the framing, forming the sides and bottom of a vessel; the shell; also, a lining inside the framing.

Skin friction, Skin resistance (Naut.), the friction, or resistance, caused by the tendency of water to adhere to the immersed surface (skin) of a vessel. -- Skin graft (Surg.), a small portion of skin used in the process of grafting. See Graft, v. t., 2. -- Skin moth (Zoöl.), any insect which destroys the prepared skins of animals, especially the larva of Dermestes and Anthrenus. -- Skin of the teeth, nothing, or next to nothing; the least possible hold or advantage. Job xix. 20. -- Skin wool, wool taken from dead sheep.

Skin, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skinned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skinning.] 1. To strip off the skin or hide of; to flay; to peel; as, to skin an animal.

2. To cover with skin, or as with skin; hence, to cover superficially.

It will but skin and film the ulcerous place.

Shak.

3. To strip of money or property; to cheat. [Slang]

Skin, v. i. 1. To become covered with skin; as, a wound skins over.

2. To produce, in recitation, examination, etc., the work of another for one's own, or to use in such exercise cribs, memeoranda, etc., which are prohibited. [College Cant, U.S.]

Skin"bound` (?), a. Having the skin adhering closely and rigidly to the flesh; hidebound.

Skinbound disease. (Med.) See Sclerema neonatorum, under Sclerema.

Skinch (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Skinched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skinching.] [Cf. Scant.] To give scant measure; to squeeze or pinch in order to effect a saving. [Prev. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Skin"-deep` (?), a. Not deeper than the skin; hence, superficial. Lowell.

Skin"flint` (?), n. [Skin + flint.] A penurious person; a miser; a niggard. Sir W. Scott.

Skin"ful (?), n.; pl. Skinfuls (&?;). As much as a skin can hold.

Skink (?), n. [L. scincus, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;.] [Written also scink.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of regularly scaled harmless lizards of the family Scincidæ, common in the warmer parts of all the continents.

The officinal skink (Scincus officinalis) inhabits the sandy plains of South Africa. It was believed by the ancients to be a specific for various diseases. A common slender species (Seps tridactylus) of Southern Europe was formerly believed to produce fatal diseases in cattle by mere contact. The American skinks include numerous species of the genus Eumeces, as the blue-tailed skink (E. fasciatus) of the Eastern United States. The ground skink, or ground lizard (Oligosoma laterale) inhabits the Southern United States.

Skink, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skinked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skinking.] [Icel. skenja; akin to Sw. skäka, Dan. skienke, AS. scencan, D. & G. schenken. As. scencan is usually derived from sceonc, sceanc, shank, a hollow bone being supposed to have been used to draw off liquor from a cask. &radic;161. See Shank, and cf. Nunchion.] To draw or serve, as drink. [Obs.]

Bacchus the wine them skinketh all about.

Chaucer.

Such wine as Ganymede doth skink to Jove.

Shirley.

Skink, v. i. To serve or draw liquor. [Obs.]

Skink, n. Drink; also, pottage. [Obs.] Bacon.

Skink"er (?), n. One who serves liquor; a tapster.

Skin"less (?), a. Having no skin, or a very thin skin; as, skinless fruit.

Skin"ner (?), n. 1. One who skins.

2. One who deals in skins, pelts, or hides.

Skin"ni*ness (?), n. Quality of being skinny.

Skin"ny (?), a. Consisting, or chiefly consisting, of skin; wanting flesh. "Her skinny lips." Shak.

He holds him with a skinny hand.

Coleridge.

Skip (?), n. [See Skep.] 1. A basket. See Skep. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

2. A basket on wheels, used in cotton factories.

3. (Mining) An iron bucket, which slides between guides, for hoisting mineral and rock.

4. (Sugar Manuf.) A charge of sirup in the pans.

5. A beehive; a skep.

Skip, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skipping.] [OE. skippen, of uncertain origin; cf. Icel. skopa run, skoppa to spin like a top, OSw. & dial. Sw. skimmpa to run, skimpa, skompa, to hop, skip; or Ir. sgiob to snatch, Gael. sgiab to start or move suddenly, to snatch, W. ysgipio to snatch.] 1. To leap lightly; to move in leaps and hounds; -- commonly implying a sportive spirit.

The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy reason, would he skip and play?

Pope.

So she drew her mother away skipping, dancing, and frisking fantastically.

Hawthorne.

2. Fig.: To leave matters unnoticed, as in reading, speaking, or writing; to pass by, or overlook, portions of a thing; -- often followed by over.

Skip, v. t. 1. To leap lightly over; as, to skip the rope.

2. To pass over or by without notice; to omit; to miss; as, to skip a line in reading; to skip a lesson.

They who have a mind to see the issue may skip these two chapters.

Bp. Burnet.

3. To cause to skip; as, to skip a stone. [Colloq.]

Skip, n. 1. A light leap or bound.

2. The act of passing over an interval from one thing to another; an omission of a part.

3. (Mus.) A passage from one sound to another by more than a degree at once. Busby.

Skip kennel, a lackey; a footboy. [Slang.] Swift. -- Skip mackerel. (Zoöl.) See Bluefish, 1.

Skip"jack` (?), n. 1. An upstart. [Obs.] Ford.

2. (Zoöl.) An elater; a snap bug, or snapping beetle.

3. (Zoöl.) A name given to several kinds of a fish, as the common bluefish, the alewife, the bonito, the butterfish, the cutlass fish, the jurel, the leather jacket, the runner, the saurel, the saury, the threadfish, etc.

4. (Naut.) A shallow sailboat with a rectilinear or V-shaped cross section.

Skip"per (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, skips.

2. A young, thoughtless person. Shak.

3. (Zoöl.) The saury (Scomberesox saurus).

4. The cheese maggot. See Cheese fly, under Cheese.

5. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small butterflies of the family Hesperiadæ; -- so called from their peculiar short, jerking flight.

Skip"per, n. [D. schipper. See Shipper, and Ship.] 1. (Naut.) The master of a fishing or small trading vessel; hence, the master, or captain, of any vessel.

2. A ship boy. [Obs.] Congreve.

Skip"pet (?), n. [Cf. Icel. skip, E. skipper. See Ship.] 1. A small boat; a skiff. [Obs.]

A little skippet floating did appear.

Spenser.

2. A small round box for keeping records. [Obs.]

Skip"ping*ly (?), adv. In a skipping manner; by skips, or light leaps.

Skirl (?), v. t.& i. [Of Scand. origin, and originally the same word as E. shrill.] To utter in a shrill tone; to scream. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Skirl, n. A shrill cry or sound. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Skirl"cock` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The missel thrush; -- so called from its harsh alarm note. [Prev. Eng.]

Skirl"crake` (?), n. The turnstone. [Prev. Eng.]

Skirl"ing, n. A shrill cry or sound; a crying shrilly; a skirl. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

When the skirling of the pipes cleft the air his cold eyes softened.

Mrs. J. H. Ewing.

Skirl"ing, n. (Zoöl.) A small trout or salmon; -- a name used loosely. [Prov. Eng.]

Skir"mish (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skirmished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skirmishing.] [OE. skirmishen, scarmishen, OF. escremir, eskermir, to fence, fight, F. escrimer, of German origin; cf. OHG. scirmen to protect, defend, G. schirmen, OHG. scirm, scerm, protection, shield, G. schirm; perhaps akin to Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; a sunshade. Cf. Scaramouch, Scrimmage.] To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers.

Skir"mish, n.[OE. scarmishe, scrymishe. See Skirmish, v. i.] 1. A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops.

2. A slight contest.

They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit.

Shak.

Skir"mish*er (?), n. One who skirmishes. Specifically: pl. (Mil.) Soldiers deployed in loose order, to cover the front or flanks of an advancing army or a marching column.

Skirr (?), v. t. [Cf. Scur, Scurry.] To ramble over in order to clear; to scour. [Archaic] Shak.

Skirr, v. i. To scour; to scud; to run. [Archaic]

Skirr, n. (Zoöl.) A tern. [Prov. Eng.]

Skir"ret (?), n. [A corrupted form equivalent to sugarwort.] (Bot.) An umbelliferous plant (Sium, or Pimpinella, Sisarum). It is a native of Asia, but has been long cultivated in Europe for its edible clustered tuberous roots, which are very sweet.

Skir"rhus (?), n. (Med.) See Scirrhus.

Skirt (?), n. [OE. skyrt, of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. skyrta a shirt, Sw. skört a skirt, skjorta a shirt. See Shirt.] 1. The lower and loose part of a coat, dress, or other like garment; the part below the waist; as, the skirt of a coat, a dress, or a mantle.

2. A loose edging to any part of a dress. [Obs.]

A narrow lace, or a small skirt of ruffled linen, which runs along the upper part of the stays before, and crosses the breast, being a part of the tucker, is called the modesty piece.

Addison.

3. Border; edge; margin; extreme part of anything "Here in the skirts of the forest." Shak.

4. A petticoat.

5. The diaphragm, or midriff, in animals. Dunglison.

Skirt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skirted; p. pr. & vb. n. Skirting.] 1. To cover with a skirt; to surround.

Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold.

Milton.

2. To border; to form the border or edge of; to run along the edge of; as, the plain was skirted by rows of trees. "When sundown skirts the moor." Tennyson.

Skirt, v. t. To be on the border; to live near the border, or extremity.

Savages . . . who skirt along our western frontiers.

S. S. Smith.

Skirt"ing, n. 1. (Arch.) A skirting board. [R.]

2. Skirts, taken collectivelly; material for skirts.

Skirting board, the board running around a room on the wall next the floor; baseboard.

Skit (?), v. t. [Prov. E. skitto slide, as adj., hasty, precipitate, of Scand. origin, and akin to E. shoot, v.t.; cf. Icel. skyti, skytja, skytta, a marksman, shooter, skjta to shoot, skta a taunt. &radic;159. See Shoot.] To cast reflections on; to asperse. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Crose.

Skit, n. 1. A reflection; a jeer or gibe; a sally; a brief satire; a squib. Tooke.

A similar vein satire upon the emptiness of writers is given in his "Tritical Essay upon the Faculties of the Human Mind;" but that is a mere skit compared with this strange performance.

Leslie Stephen.

2. A wanton girl; a light wench. [Obs.]

Skit"tish (?), a. [See Skit, v. t.] 1. Easily frightened; timorous; shy; untrustworthy; as, a skittish colt. "A restiff, skittish jade." L'Estrange.

2. Wanton; restive; freakish; volatile; changeable; fickle. "Skittish Fortune's hall." Shak.

-- Skit"tish*ly, adv. -- Skit"tish*ness, n.

Skit"tle (?), a. Pertaining to the game of skittles.

Skittle alley, an alley or court in which the game of skittles is played. -- Skittle ball, a disk or flattish ball of wood for throwing at the pins in the game of skittles.

Skit"tle-dog` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The piked dogfish.

Skit"tles (?), n. pl. [Of Scand. origin. &radic;159. See Shoot, v. t., and cf. Shuttle, Skit, v. t.] An English game resembling ninepins, but played by throwing wooden disks, instead of rolling balls, at the pins.

Skit"ty (?), n. [Cf. Skittish.] (Zoöl.) A rail; as, the water rail (called also skitty cock, and skitty coot); the spotted crake (Porzana maruetta), and the moor hen. [Prov. Eng.]

Skive (?), n. [Cf. Icel. skfa a shaving, slice, E. shive, sheave.] The iron lap used by diamond polishers in finishing the facets of the gem.

Skive (?), v. t. To pare or shave off the rough or thick parts of (hides or leather).

Skiv"er (?), n. [Cf. Skewer, Shiver a fragment.] 1. An inferior quality of leather, made of split sheepskin, tanned by immersion in sumac, and dyed. It is used for hat linings, pocketbooks, bookbinding, etc.

2. The cutting tool or machine used in splitting leather or skins, as sheepskins.

Ski"ving (?), n. 1. The act of paring or splitting leather or skins.

2. A piece made in paring or splitting leather; specifically, the part from the inner, or flesh, side.

Sklayre (?), n. [Cf. G. schleier.] A vell. [Obs.]

Sklere (?), v. t. To shelter; to cover. [Obs.]

{ Skol"e*cite (?), Skol"e*zite (?) }, n. (Min.) See Scolecite.

Skonce (?), n. See Sconce.

Skop"ster (skp"str), n. The saury. [Prov. Eng.]

Skor"o*dite (?), n. (Min.) See Scorodite.

Skout (?), n. (Zoöl.) A guillemot.

Sko"witz (?), n. [Nisqually (American Indian) name.] (Zoöl.) The silver salmon.

Skreen (?), n. & v. See Screen. [Obs.]

Skrike (?), v. i. & t. To shriek. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Skrike, n. (Zoöl.) The missel thrush. [Prov. Eng.]

Skrim"mage (?), n. See Scrimmage.

Skrimp (?), v. t. See Scrimp.

Skringe (?), v. i. See Scringe.

Skrite (?), n. (Zoöl.) The skrike. [Prov. Eng.]

Sku"a (?), n. [Icel. sk&?;fr, sk&?;mr.] (Zoöl.) Any jager gull; especially, the Megalestris skua; -- called also boatswain.

Skue (?), a. & n. See Skew.

Skulk (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skulked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skulking.] [Of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. skulke to spare or save one's self, to play the truant, Sw. skolka to be at leisure, to shirk, Icel. skolla. Cf. Scowl.] To hide, or get out of the way, in a sneaking manner; to lie close, or to move in a furtive way; to lurk. "Want skulks in holes and crevices." W. C. Bryant.

Discovered and defeated of your prey, You skulked behind the fence, and sneaked away.

Dryden.

Skulk, n. [Cf. Icel. skollr, skolli, a fox, and E. skulk, v.i.] A number of foxes together. Wright.

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{ Skulk (?), Skulk"er (?), } n. One who, or that which, skulks.

Skulk"ing*ly, adv. In a skulking manner.

Skull (?), n. [See School a multitude.] A school, company, or shoal. [Obs.]

A knavish skull of boys and girls did pelt at him.

Warner.

These fishes enter in great flotes and skulls.

Holland.

Skull, n. [OE. skulle, sculle, scolle; akin to Scot. skull, skoll, a bowl, Sw. skalle skull, skal a shell, and E. scale; cf. G. hirnschale, Dan. hierneskal. Cf. Scale of a balance.] 1. (Anat.) The skeleton of the head of a vertebrate animal, including the brain case, or cranium, and the bones and cartilages of the face and mouth. See Illusts. of Carnivora, of Facial angles under Facial, and of Skeleton, in Appendix.

In many fishes the skull is almost wholly cartilaginous but in the higher vertebrates it is more or less completely ossified, several bones are developed in the face, and the cranium is made up, wholly or partially, of bony plates arranged in three segments, the frontal, parietal, and occipital, and usually closely united in the adult.

2. The head or brain; the seat of intelligence; mind.

Skulls that can not teach, and will not learn.

Cowper.

3. A covering for the head; a skullcap. [Obs. & R.]

Let me put on my skull first.

Beau. & Fl.

4. A sort of oar. See Scull.

Skull and crossbones, a symbol of death. See Crossbones.

Skull"cap` (?), n. 1. A cap which fits the head closely; also, formerly, a headpiece of iron sewed inside of a cap for protection.

2. (Bot.) Any plant of the labiate genus Scutellaria, the calyx of whose flower appears, when inverted, like a helmet with the visor raised.

3. (Zoöl.) The Lophiomys.

Mad-dog skullcap (Bot.), an American herb (Scetellaria lateriflora) formerly prescribed as a cure for hydrophobia.

Skull"fish` (?), n. A whaler's name for a whale more than two years old.

Skul"pin (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Sculpin.

Skun (?), n. & v. See Scum.

Skunk (?), n. [Contr. from the Abenaki (American Indian) seganku.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of American musteline carnivores of the genus Mephitis and allied genera. They have two glands near the anus, secreting an extremely fetid liquid, which the animal ejects at pleasure as a means of defense.

The common species of the Eastern United States (Mephitis mephitica) is black with more or less white on the body and tail. The spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius), native of the Southwestern United States and Mexico, is smaller than the common skunk, and is variously marked with black and white.

Skunk bird, Skunk blackbird (Zoöl.), the bobolink; -- so called because the male, in the breeding season, is black and white, like a skunk. -- Skunk cabbage (Bot.), an American aroid herb (Symplocarpus fœtidus>) having a reddish hornlike spathe in earliest spring, followed by a cluster of large cabbagelike leaves. It exhales a disagreeable odor. Also called swamp cabbage. -- Skunk porpoise. (Zoöl.) See under Porpoise.

Skunk, v. t. In games of chance and skill: To defeat (an opponent) (as in cards) so that he fails to gain a point, or (in checkers) to get a king. [Colloq. U. S.]

Skunk"ball` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The surf duck.