skill
pronunciation
How to pronounce skill in British English:
UK [skɪl]
How to pronounce skill in American English:
US [skɪl]
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- Noun:
- an ability that has been acquired by training
- ability to produce solutions in some problem domain
Word Origin
- skill
- skill: [12] Skill etymologically denotes not a physical accomplishment, but the mental capacity to make ‘distinctions’. It was borrowed from Old Norse skil ‘distinction, discernment, knowledge’, whose relatives include Dutch geschil ‘difference’, and which goes back ultimately to the prehistoric Germanic base *skel- ‘divide, separate’ (source also of English scale, shell, shield, etc). The modern English sense emerged in the 13th century.=> scale, shell, shield
- skill (n.)
- late 12c., "power of discernment," from Old Norse skil "distinction, ability to make out, discernment, adjustment," related to skilja (v.) "to separate; discern, understand," from Proto-Germanic *skaljo- "divide, separate" (cognates: Swedish skäl "reason," Danish skjel "a separation, boundary, limit," Middle Low German schillen "to differ," Middle Low German, Middle Dutch schele "separation, discrimination;" see shell (n.)). Sense of "ability, cleverness" first recorded early 13c.
Example
- 1. That 's an important skill to learn .
- 2. Perhaps learning a new skill might interest you .
- 3. These eight qualities require a new skill set .
- 4. How can we ensure our children develop this skill ?
- 5. Is this success due to luck or skill ?