skinner
skinner Lexical Profile
skinner Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person whose occupation is removing, preparing, or dealing in the skins, hides, or pelts of animals.
"In medieval towns, the skinner worked closely with tanners and furriers to supply leather and pelts for winter garments."
North American A driver of a team of draft animals, especially mules or horses hauling freight.
"The seasoned mule skinner guided the heavily loaded supply wagon across the steep mountain pass."
A specialized knife with a wide, curved blade designed for removing the hide of an animal without puncturing the underlying flesh.
"The trapper kept a sharp skinner in his belt sheath for dressing game in the field."
• Rhymes for skinner
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English skynnere, derived from skin ('hide, pelt') + -er. The North American sense of 'mule driver' arose in 19th-century frontier slang from the figurative idea of 'skinning' (whipping or driving hard) draft animals.