skim off

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Verb (transitive):
    • To remove the best or most desirable part from a group or collection: To select and take the most valuable, skilled, or attractive elements from a larger whole.
    • To remove a layer from the surface of a liquid: To take something, such as cream or fat, from the top of a liquid.
Usage
  • The verb "skim off" is typically used with an object. It describes the action of taking the top or best part of something.
  • It often implies a selective or exclusive action, sometimes with a negative connotation of taking the best for oneself, leaving the rest diminished.
Examples
  • Selecting the best from a group:
    • The prestigious university tends to skim off the top students from schools across the country.
    • The new tech company is trying to skim off the best engineers from its competitors.
  • Removing from a surface:
    • Remember to skim off the fat from the surface of the soup before serving.
    • She skimmed off the cream from the fresh milk.
Advanced Usage
  • Economic/Financial Context: Often used to describe the action of taking the largest share of profits.
    • Corrupt officials were accused of skimming off a percentage of the public funds.
  • Figurative Use: Can describe abstractly taking the best part of something non-physical.
    • The popular show has skimmed off the most interesting plot points from several classic novels.
Variants and Related Words
  • Skim (verb): To move quickly over a surface, or to read quickly to get the main ideas. Also, to remove a substance from the surface of a liquid.
    • The birds skimmed the surface of the water.
    • She skimmed the report before the meeting.
  • Cream off (verb, phrasal): A synonym often used in British English with the same meaning as "skim off" in the context of selecting the best.
    • The program is designed to cream off the most talented young athletes.
Synonyms
  • Cream off: To take the best people or things from a group.
  • Cull: To select from a large group (can imply a more rigorous or systematic selection).
  • Separate: To remove something from a mixture or group (more general).
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Skim through: To read, look at, or examine something quickly.
    • I only had time to skim through the document.
  • Skim over: To deal with or treat something very quickly and without detail.
    • The lecture skimmed over the complex historical causes.
Related Idioms
  • The cream of the crop: The best of a particular group. This noun phrase is related to the action described by "skim off."
    • These award-winning wines represent the cream of the crop from this region.
Verb
  1. pick the best
  2. remove from the surface
    • skim cream from the surface of milk

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