SKATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does skate mean? 

• SKATE (noun)
  The noun SKATE has 2 senses:

1. sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs

2. large edible rays having a long snout and thick tail with pectoral fins continuous with the head; swim by undulating the edges of the pectoral fins

  Familiarity information: SKATE used as a noun is rare.

• SKATE (verb)
  The verb SKATE has 1 sense:

1. move along on skates

  Familiarity information: SKATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SKATE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("skate" is a kind of...):

sports equipment (equipment needed to participate in a particular sport)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "skate"):

ice skate (skate consisting of a boot with a steel blade fitted to the sole)

in-line skate (a shoe with a line of rollers fixed to the sole)

roller skate (a shoe with pairs of rollers fixed to the sole)

Derivation:

skate (move along on skates)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Large edible rays having a long snout and thick tail with pectoral fins continuous with the head; swim by undulating the edges of the pectoral fins

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("skate" is a kind of...):

ray (cartilaginous fishes having horizontally flattened bodies and enlarged winglike pectoral fins with gills on the underside; most swim by moving the pectoral fins)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "skate"):

gray skate; grey skate; Raja batis (common European skate used as food)

little skate; Raja erinacea (most plentiful skate in North American inshore waters in summer; to 21 inches)

Raja radiata; thorny skate (cold-water bottom fish with spines on the back; to 40 inches)

barndoor skate; Raja laevis (one of the largest skates (to 5 feet); an active skate easy to hook)

Holonyms ("skate" is a member of...):

family Rajidae; Rajidae (bottom-dwelling tropical rays: skates)

• SKATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they skate    ... he / she / it skates   
Past simple: skated   
Past participle: skated   
-ing form: skating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move along on skates

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

The Dutch often skate along the canals in winter

Hypernyms (to "skate" is one way to...):

glide (move smoothly and effortlessly)

Domain category:

athletics; sport (an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "skate"):

ice skate (move along on ice skates)

figure skate (dance on skates)

roller skate (travel on shoes with steel or rubber rollers attached to their soles)

skateboard (ride on a flat board with rollers attached to the bottom)

Rollerblade (travel on shoes with a single line of rubber wheels attached to their soles)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

They skate the river
They skate down the river

Derivation:

skate (sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs)

skater (someone who skates)

skating (the sport of gliding on skates)

 Context examples 

Amy heard the clash of skates, and looked out with an impatient exclamation.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I felt the words of my lessons slipping off, not one by one, or line by line, but by the entire page; I tried to lay hold of them; but they seemed, if I may so express it, to have put skates on, and to skim away from me with a smoothness there was no checking.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"Everybody is so hateful, I'll ask Laurie to go skating. He is always kind and jolly, and will put me to rights, I know," said Jo to herself, and off she went.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Laurie did not see, for he was carefully skating along the shore, sounding the ice, for a warm spell had preceded the cold snap.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Half a dozen jovial lads were talking about skates in another part of the room, and she longed to go and join them, for skating was one of the joys of her life.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Such plays and tableaux, such sleigh rides and skating frolics, such pleasant evenings in the old parlor, and now and then such gay little parties at the great house.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Pile our things on her, while I get off these confounded skates, cried Laurie, wrapping his coat round Amy, and tugging away at the straps which never seemed so intricate before.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Jo heard Amy panting after her run, stamping her feet and blowing on her fingers as she tried to put her skates on, but Jo never turned and went slowly zigzagging down the river, taking a bitter, unhappy sort of satisfaction in her sister's troubles.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)