ski

1 of 2

noun

ˈskē How to pronounce ski (audio)
 British sometimes  ˈshē
plural skis also ski
1
a
: one of a pair of narrow strips of wood, metal, or plastic curving upward in front that are used especially for gliding over snow
b
: water ski
2
: a piece of material that resembles a ski and is used as a runner on a vehicle

ski

2 of 2

verb

skied ˈskēd How to pronounce ski (audio)
ˈshēd
 ; skiing

intransitive verb

: to glide on skis in travel or as a sport

transitive verb

: to travel or pass over on skis
skiable
ˈskē-ə-bəl How to pronounce ski (audio)
adjective
skier noun

Examples of ski in a Sentence

Verb I have skied that mountain before.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Mayors of the neighboring Haute-Savoie ski resorts of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains and Megève have been locked in an acrimonious battle over public funds, tracked in detail by French local publication Le Dauphiné Libéré. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 8 May 2024 The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office recovered two snowboards stolen from Boreal Mountain ski resort after an investigation that involved reviewing security footage. —Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 8 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for ski 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ski.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Norwegian, from Old Norse skīth stick of wood, ski; akin to Old English scīd board, scēadan to divide — more at shed entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of ski was in 1755

Phrases Containing ski

Dictionary Entries Near ski

Skhul man

ski

skia-

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ski.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ski. Accessed 17 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

ski

1 of 2 noun
ˈskē How to pronounce ski (audio)
plural skis
: one of a pair of narrow strips of wood, metal, or plastic curving upward in front that are used for gliding over snow or water

ski

2 of 2 verb
skied; skiing
: to glide on skis
skier noun
Etymology

Noun

from Norwegian ski "a ski," from an early Norse word skīth "a stick of wood"

More from Merriam-Webster on ski

Nglish: Translation of ski for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ski for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ski

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