Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Skink
Skink
,Noun.
[L.
scincus
, Gr. [GREEK][GREEK][GREEK][GREEK].] [Written also
scink
.] (Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of regularly scaled harmless lizards of the family
Scincidae
, 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 (Eumeces fasciatus
) of the Eastern United States. The ground skink, or ground lizard (Oligosoma laterale
) inhabits the Southern United States. Skink
,Verb.
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. √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
,Verb.
I.
To serve or draw liquor.
[Obs.]
Skink
,Noun.
Drink; also, pottage.
[Obs.]
Bacon.
Webster 1828 Edition
Skink
SKINK
,Noun.
1.
Drink; pottage.2.
(L. scincus) A small lizard of Egypt; also, the common name of a genus of lizards, with a long body entirely covered with rounded imbricate scales, all natives of warm climates.SKINK
,Verb.
I.
Definition 2024
skink
skink
English
Noun
skink (plural skinks)
- (Scotland, Northern England) A shin of beef.
- Lean sirloin, skink and pot-roast.
References
Etymology 2
From Middle French scinc, from Latin scincus, from Ancient Greek σκίγγος (skíngos), σκίγκος (skínkos).
Noun
skink (plural skinks)
- A lizard of the Scincidae family, having small or reduced limbs or none at all and long tails that are regenerated when shed.
Translations
lizard
Etymology 3
From Old English scencan or Old Norse skenkja, from Proto-Germanic *skankijaną. Cognate with German schenken (“to give as a present”), Dutch schenken (“to pour, give as a present”). See also shink.
Verb
skink (third-person singular simple present skinks, present participle skinking, simple past and past participle skinked)
- (Scotland) to serve (a drink)
- Shirley
- Such wine as Ganymede doth skink to Jove.
- Shirley
- (obsolete, Scotland, Northern England) To give as a present.
Noun
skink
- (obsolete) drink
- (obsolete) pottage
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)