peel
/pi:l/
Definition
Noun:
- The outer skin or rind of a fruit or vegetable: The natural protective layer that can be removed.
- (Historical) A fortified tower or small castle: A type of defensive structure, particularly in the Scottish borders.
- A shovel-like tool: Specifically, a baker's shovel used for moving bread into or out of an oven.
Verb:
- To remove the outer covering from something: To strip or pull away the skin, rind, or bark.
- To come off in thin pieces or flakes: For a surface layer to detach, often due to age or damage.
- (Informal) To undress: To take off one's clothes.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- Add the lemon peel to the cake batter for extra flavor.
- The ancient peel was used for defense against raiders.
- The baker used a long wooden peel to retrieve the loaves.
Verb:
- Please peel the potatoes before boiling them.
- The old wallpaper is starting to peel from the damp walls.
- After the marathon, he just wanted to peel off his sweaty clothes and shower.
Advanced Usage
"peel off":
- To remove by stripping or pulling away.
- Peel off the backing and stick the poster to the wall.
- To leave a moving group or formation.
- One motorcycle peeled off from the pack and took a different road.
"peel out" (Informal):
- To accelerate a vehicle rapidly so that the tires spin and screech.
- He peeled out of the driveway, leaving skid marks.
Variants and Related Words
- Peeler (noun):
- A tool for removing the skin from fruits and vegetables.
- A good potato peeler makes cooking easier.
- (British, informal, historical) A policeman.
- Peeling (noun):
- A strip of skin, rind, or bark that has been peeled off.
- She swept the orange peelings into the compost bin.
Synonyms
- Verb: Pare, strip, flake, decorticate, shuck (for shells like corn).
- Noun: Rind, skin, zest (specifically for citrus fruit), bark (for trees).
Related Phrasal Verbs
Peel away:
- To separate or break off from a surface or group.
- Layers of old paint peeled away from the door.
- Protesters began to peel away as the evening grew cold.
Peel back:
- To pull back or lift a layer to reveal what is underneath.
- The surgeon peeled back the skin to access the muscle.
Related Idioms
"Keep your eyes peeled":
- To watch very carefully for something.
- Keep your eyes peeled for the street sign; it's easy to miss.
"Peel the onion":
- To analyze a complex problem by examining it layer by layer.
- Understanding the issue requires us to peel the onion and look at each contributing factor.
Noun
-
the rind of a fruit or vegetable
-
British politician (1788-1850)
Verb
-
get undressed
-
please don't undress in front of everybody!
-
She strips in front of strangers every night for a living
-
-
come off in flakes or thin small pieces
-
The paint in my house is peeling off
-
-
strip the skin off
-
pare apples
-
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