SKIFF
What does "SKIFF" mean?
A small, light boat, typically rowed or sailed by one person.
Meanings
- A small open boat propelled by oars, sail, or a small motor. He rowed the skiff out to check the lobster pots.
- A thin or fleeting layer of snow, mist, or rain (chiefly Scottish and Northern English). A skiff of snow dusted the hills overnight. informal
Word origin
The boat sense comes from French 'esquif', from Italian 'schifo', borrowed from a Germanic word related to 'ship'; the weather sense is of separate, likely Scots, origin.
Remember it
SKIFF rhymes with 'whiff' - both are slight, fleeting things: a whiff of scent, a skiff of snow, a tiny skiff on the water.
A little poem
One oar, one cold man,
a skiff of snow on the thwart-
the lake keeps no name.
haiku
Wordplay
- In Scotland a skiff can carry you across the loch or just dust it with snow - either way you barely feel the weight.
What it teaches
Small craft go where great ships cannot; lightness is its own kind of reach.
Quick facts
What does SKIFF mean?
A small, light boat, typically rowed or sailed by one person.
Is SKIFF a valid word?
Yes — SKIFF is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is SKIFF?
SKIFF has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does SKIFF come from?
The boat sense comes from French 'esquif', from Italian 'schifo', borrowed from a Germanic word related to 'ship'; the weather sense is of separate, likely Scots, origin.
What can SKIFF teach us?
Small craft go where great ships cannot; lightness is its own kind of reach.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.