(a) The outer covering of the human body, skin; ~ of the smitinge, the skin at or near the location of a wound; maken ~, to cause skin to grow again; (b) a specific part or section of the skin; also, a flap of skin used to close a wound [quot.: c1475, last]; an empti ~, a withered or loose piece of skin; (c) foul skinnes, an eruptive skin disease of some kind; (d) in fig., allusive, and prov. expressions; pore skinnes, poor people.

(a) Anat. An internal membrane, lining, or covering tissue; also, the placenta; (b) ~ of the brain, ?the outer surface of the brain; the smal ~, the cornea; the two skinnes of the eie, the iris and the cornea; thinne ~ of the wombe, thinne wombe ~, the lining of the stomach.

(a) The external covering of an animal's body, sometimes including the fur; the skin of a snake or fish; also, an internal membrane [quots.: a1398, 3rd & ?c1425, 2nd]; hard ~, ?thick skin; ?the shell of a shellfish; (b) a stripped animal skin, pelt, hide, often used as clothing; ?also, a fur or skin lining [quot.: a1500 Rule Minoresses]; ~ grene, untreated hide; raue ~, an untreated hide; the golden ~, the Golden Fleece; (c) the prepared skin of an animal, leather; also, a piece of leather; also, a garment made of leather; [some quots. may belong to 2.(b)]; ded ~; (d) the skin of a sheep, calf, etc. prepared for writing or painting on; also, a piece of such prepared skin, sometimes with writing on it; ~ of parchemin, ded (dedli, mortal) ~, shepes ~; (e) Bibl., translating L pellis: a tent curtain; also, a tent or the canopy or roof of a tent; (f) in proverbs and prov. expressions; (g) in cpds. & combs.: barm ~ [see barm n.2.]; bere ~ [OE bera-scinn; see also bere n.1.(c)]; bouge ~ [see bouge n.(2)(a)]; bul ~ [see bul n.3b.(a)]; calf ~ [see calf n.2.(b)]; camel ~ [see camel n.(b)]; coning ~ [see coning n.3.]; cordewaner ~; cou ~; der ~ [see der n.3.(b)]; ele ~ [see ele n.(3) 2.(d)]; fox ~ [see fox n.1.(c)]; got ~ [see got n.5a.(a)]; hare ~ [see hare n.2.(a)]; hert ~; hors ~ [see hors n.8.(i)]; houndes-fish ~ [see also hound(es-fish n.(b)]; kide ~ [see also kide n.1.(c)]; lomb ~ [see lomb n.6.(b)]; naddre ~ [see naddre n.1.(b)]; oxe ~; parchemin ~ [see also parchemin n.(d)]; ribbe ~ [see ribben v.]; rone ~ [see rone n.(b)]; sele ~ [see sel(e n.(2)(b)]; shep ~ [see shep n.3.(a)]; vellum ~, a piece of calfskin; wol ~ , a sheepskin.

(a) The epidermis of a plant; the integument of a bulb or seed; the peel, rind, or skin of a fruit; the husk of flax; also, the membrane separating the kernel of a nut from its shell, endocarp; ?also, the bark of a tree [1st quot.]; -- prob. from misunderstanding of L; (b) the shell of an egg; (c) a stratum or layer of the earth; the film on the surface of a liquid.

In surnames and place name.