From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishskinskin1 /skɪn/ ●●● S2 W2 noun 1 body [countable, uncountable]HB the natural outer layer of a person’s or animal’s body She had thick black hair and smooth dark skin. The skin on his hands was dry and rough. → skincare2 from an animal [countable, uncountable]HBATI the skin of an animal, sometimes including its fur, used to make leather, clothes etc a leopard skin3 
food [countable, uncountable] a) HBPthe natural outer cover of some fruits and vegetables SYN peel banana skins b) DFthe outer cover of a sausage4 DFon a liquid [countable, uncountable] a thin solid layer that forms on the top of a liquid, especially when it gets cold Cover the soup to stop a skin from forming.5 part of an object [countable] a layer that is part of a vehicle, building, object etc, especially on the outside The outer skin of the aircraft was not punctured. The lampshade has a double skin so that it remains cool.6 computer [countable, uncountable] the way particular information appears on a computer screen, especially when this can be changed quickly and easily 7 → have (a) thin/thick skin8 → get under somebody’s skin9 → by the skin of your teeth10 → make somebody’s skin crawl11 → be skin and bone12 → it’s no skin off somebody’s nose13 → something is only skin deep14 → skins → save somebody’s skin at save1(11), → jump out of your skin at jump1(4)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesfair/pale/whiteI have fair skin that burns very easily.dark/brown/blacka girl with beautiful dark skinolive (=the colour typical of people from Greece, Italy etc)a boy with dark eyes and olive skintannedHis skin was slightly tanned.smooth/soft Her skin was smooth and pale.beautifulShe had beautiful brown skin.good/healthy/clear (=smooth and without any red spots)Vitamin E helps keep your skin healthy.bad/terrible (=with many spots or marks)I had terrible skin when I was a teenager.My skin’s really bad at the moment.flawless (=perfect, with no spots or marks)The girls all had perfect features and flawless skin.dry A lot of women suffer from dry skin.oilyMy skin has a tendency to be oily.sensitive (=becoming red or sore easily)Special shampoos are available for those with sensitive skin.itchy (=making you want to scratch)The cream made my skin feel itchy.rough (=not smooth or soft)The skin on his hands was rough and dry.leathery (=thick and dry)a lean man with leathery skin and sea-blue eyeswrinkled (=covered in lines because of age)an old lady with wrinkled skinscaly (=hard and dry, like the skin on animals such as lizards)The crocodile’s scaly skin is ideally suited to its way of life.verbsburn/damage your skinStrong sunlight can damage your skin.break the skin (=make a hole in it)Luckily the skin wasn't broken.protect your skinIt's important to use suntan lotion to protect your skin.irritate your skin (=make it red or sore)Some types of make-up can irritate your skin.soothe your skin (=to stop it feeling painful or uncomfortable)The lotion helps to soothe your skin after you've been in the sun all day.your skin glows/shines (=it looks healthy)beauty products that will make your skin glowyour skin peels (=the top layer comes off after you have had a sun tan)The week after the holiday my skin was already starting to peel.your skin sags (=it hangs down in loose folds, because you are old)The skin on her arms was already starting to sag.skin + NOUNskin colour (also the colour of your skin)There is still discrimination on the basis of skin colour.skin tone (=how light or dark someone’s skin is)Do the colours of your clothes enhance your skin tone?a skin condition/complaint/diseaseShe suffers from a nasty skin condition.skin irritationA lot of chemicals can cause skin irritation.a skin rashSkin rashes are common among children.skin cancerToo much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer.
food [countable, uncountable] a) HBPthe natural outer cover of some fruits and vegetables SYN peel banana skins b) DFthe outer cover of a sausage4 DFon a liquid [countable, uncountable] a thin solid layer that forms on the top of a liquid, especially when it gets cold Cover the soup to stop a skin from forming.5 part of an object [countable] a layer that is part of a vehicle, building, object etc, especially on the outside The outer skin of the aircraft was not punctured. The lampshade has a double skin so that it remains cool.6 computer [countable, uncountable] the way particular information appears on a computer screen, especially when this can be changed quickly and easily 7 → have (a) thin/thick skin8 → get under somebody’s skin9 → by the skin of your teeth10 → make somebody’s skin crawl11 → be skin and bone12 → it’s no skin off somebody’s nose13 → something is only skin deep14 → skins → save somebody’s skin at save1(11), → jump out of your skin at jump1(4)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesfair/pale/whiteI have fair skin that burns very easily.dark/brown/blacka girl with beautiful dark skinolive (=the colour typical of people from Greece, Italy etc)a boy with dark eyes and olive skintannedHis skin was slightly tanned.smooth/soft Her skin was smooth and pale.beautifulShe had beautiful brown skin.good/healthy/clear (=smooth and without any red spots)Vitamin E helps keep your skin healthy.bad/terrible (=with many spots or marks)I had terrible skin when I was a teenager.My skin’s really bad at the moment.flawless (=perfect, with no spots or marks)The girls all had perfect features and flawless skin.dry A lot of women suffer from dry skin.oilyMy skin has a tendency to be oily.sensitive (=becoming red or sore easily)Special shampoos are available for those with sensitive skin.itchy (=making you want to scratch)The cream made my skin feel itchy.rough (=not smooth or soft)The skin on his hands was rough and dry.leathery (=thick and dry)a lean man with leathery skin and sea-blue eyeswrinkled (=covered in lines because of age)an old lady with wrinkled skinscaly (=hard and dry, like the skin on animals such as lizards)The crocodile’s scaly skin is ideally suited to its way of life.verbsburn/damage your skinStrong sunlight can damage your skin.break the skin (=make a hole in it)Luckily the skin wasn't broken.protect your skinIt's important to use suntan lotion to protect your skin.irritate your skin (=make it red or sore)Some types of make-up can irritate your skin.soothe your skin (=to stop it feeling painful or uncomfortable)The lotion helps to soothe your skin after you've been in the sun all day.your skin glows/shines (=it looks healthy)beauty products that will make your skin glowyour skin peels (=the top layer comes off after you have had a sun tan)The week after the holiday my skin was already starting to peel.your skin sags (=it hangs down in loose folds, because you are old)The skin on her arms was already starting to sag.skin + NOUNskin colour (also the colour of your skin)There is still discrimination on the basis of skin colour.skin tone (=how light or dark someone’s skin is)Do the colours of your clothes enhance your skin tone?a skin condition/complaint/diseaseShe suffers from a nasty skin condition.skin irritationA lot of chemicals can cause skin irritation.a skin rashSkin rashes are common among children.skin cancerToo much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer.Examples from the Corpus
skin• a sheepskin jacket• a skin disease• a skin on the top of the pudding• Bunched tightly together by older men in animal skins and carrying spears, they perform a ceremonial dance to insistent drumming.• Their huts were short tepees protected by tree branches or rounded huts covered with animal skins.• Remove pits from persimmons, then scrape pulp free from skins with teaspoon.• She felt heady with excitement, and her skin tingled.• leopard skins• He was born with a white layer of skin over his right eye.• a cleanser for oily skin• onion skin• potato skins• The toad's skin produces a poisonous substance.• He brushed against her beautifully soft skin.• Those cells which can form pigment migrate beneath the skin and enter all the feather germs.• When your skin was young, it could fend for itself.skinskin2 verb (skinned, skinning) [transitive] 1 DFDLOto remove the skin from an animal, fruit, or vegetable → peel Add the tomatoes, skinned and sliced.2 HURT/CAUSE PAINto hurt yourself by rubbing off some skin SYN graze She fell and skinned her knee.3 → skin somebody alive4 informalBEAT/DEFEAT to completely defeat someone SYN hammer The football team really skinned Watertown last year.5 → there's more than one way to skin a cat → skin up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
skin• Although it wore a dress, the person was unrecognizable as the face had been skinned.• The surface of the pond had begun to skin.• You look back and see that there is more than one way to skin a cat.• Add four boned and skinned duck breasts.• She skinned her knee when she fell off her bike.• Lucie slipped the scarlet waistcoat off Gabriel's shoulders and skinned him of the white silk shirt.• So as soon as the bamboos were skinned, the fishermen coated them with a natural insect repellent.Origin skin1 (1100-1200) Old Norse skinn 