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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience. See Synonyms at ability.
  2. n. An art, trade, or technique, particularly one requiring use of the hands or body.
  3. n. A developed talent or ability: writing skills.
  4. n. Obsolete A reason; a cause.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. To set apart; separate.
  2. Hence, to discern; have knowledge or understanding (to); know how: usually with an infinitive.
  3. To have perception or comprehension; have understanding; discern: followed by of or on.
  4. To have personal and practical knowledge (of); be versed or practised; hence, to be expert or dexterous: commonly followed by of.
  5. To make difference; signify; matter: used impersonally, and generally with a negative.
  6. n. The discriminating or reasoning faculty; the mind.
  7. n. Discriminative power; discernment; understanding; reason; wit.
  8. n. Reasonableness; propriety; rightness; justice; proper course; wise measure; also, rightful claim; right.
  9. n. Reasoning; argument; proof; also, cause; reason.
  10. n. Practical knowledge and ability; power of action or execution; readiness and excellence in applying wisdom or science to practical ends; expertness; dexterity.
  11. n. A particular power, ability, or art; a gift or attainment; an accomplishment.
  12. n. That for which one is specially qualified; one's forte.
  13. n. Synonyms Facility, knack. See adroit.

Wiktionary

  1. v. To set apart; separate.
  2. v. To discern; have knowledge or understanding; to know how (to).
  3. v. To have knowledge or comprehension; discern.
  4. v. To have personal or practical knowledge of; be versed or practised; be expert or dextrous.
  5. v. To make a difference; signify; matter.
  6. n. capacity to do something well; technique, ability. Skills are usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities, which are often thought of as innate.
  7. adj. great, excellent

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. Discrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause.
  2. n. Knowledge; understanding.
  3. n. The familiar knowledge of any art or science, united with readiness and dexterity in execution or performance, or in the application of the art or science to practical purposes; power to discern and execute; ability to perceive and perform; expertness; aptitude.
  4. n. Display of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address.
  5. n. Any particular art.
  6. v. To know; to understand.
  7. v. To be knowing; to have understanding; to be dexterous in performance.
  8. v. To make a difference; to signify; to matter; -- used impersonally.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. an ability that has been acquired by training
  2. n. ability to produce solutions in some problem domain

Etymologies

  1. Middle English skil, from Old Norse, discernment; see skel-1 in Indo-European roots.

Examples

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Lists

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‘skill’ has been looked up 1942 times, added to 20 lists, and has a Scrabble score of 9.