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skimp

verb, adj, noun — 7 senses

skimp

verb

/ˈskɪmp/ · NZ /ˈskɘmp/

Etymology Perhaps of North Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skimpijaną (“to skip, dance, gesture, mock”). Cognate with Icelandic skimpa (“to scoff at, scorn”), dialectal Swedish skimpa (“to skip, dance”), Faroese skumpa (“to shove, bump”), German schimpfen (“to grumble, scold”), Dutch schimpen (“to mock, make fun of, scold”). Possibly distantly related to change.

1

Northern England, Scotland To mock, deride, scorn, scold, make fun of.

  • I thought Adie was only skimpin' me.

skimp

adj

Etymology Probably related to scamp and scrimp.

skimp

noun

Etymology Probably related to scamp and scrimp.

1

A skimpy or insubstantial thing, especially a piece of clothing.

  • I remembered how fierce it hurt and how it blistered. All that pain from just a skimp of flesh.2007, George Ella Lyon, With a Hammer for my Heart, page 192:
2

Colloquial, In plural Underwear.

  • While presenting a rundown of the sexiest soap stars in the world in this week's ZOO, Hollyoaks' Gemma Atkinson very kindly stripped down to her skimps herself.2007, Zoo Today:

skimp

verb

Etymology Probably related to scamp and scrimp.

1

To slight; to do carelessly; to scamp.

  • I got out my wallet and let him have a look at my licenses, detective and driver's. He didn't skimp it, being a lawyer.1955 October, Rex Stout, “Die Like a Dog”, in Three Witnesses, Bantam, published 1994, →ISBN, page 159:
2

To make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp.

  • The temptation to skimp examinations and maintenance procedures, to save time or overcome staff shortages, must be resisted, and supervisors must insist on strict adherence to maintenance schedules and quality of workmanship.1964 January, “The maintenance of B.R. diesel-electric locomotives”, in Modern Railways, page 54:
  • Apple’s investment bought something. Its shows feel professional. They look like premium products that no one skimped on.2024 April 27, James Poniewozik, “The Comfortable Problem of Mid TV”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
3

To save; to be parsimonious or stingy.

Derived terms
skimp and save, skimper, unskimped
Related terms
skimpflation, skimpily, skimpy

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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