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skill

noun

  1. learned ability to do something well; technique; capacity
L5550 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /skɪl/ / [skɪɫ] / [skɪo̯]

adj

Etymology: From Middle English skill, skille (also schil, schile), from Old Norse skil (“a distinction, discernment, knowledge”), from Proto-Germanic *skilją (“separation, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skel (“a separation, boundary, divide”), Swedish skäl (“reason”), Dutch verschil (“difference”) and schillen (“to separate the outer layer (schil) from the product”, verb).

  1. Great, excellent.

    “Well, unfortunately for you, my dearest Waggipoos, I'm much more skill than you!”

    “This game is skill. Remember that because it's going to sound really complicated.”

noun

Etymology: From Middle English skill, skille (also schil, schile), from Old Norse skil (“a distinction, discernment, knowledge”), from Proto-Germanic *skilją (“separation, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skel (“a separation, boundary, divide”), Swedish skäl (“reason”), Dutch verschil (“difference”) and schillen (“to separate the outer layer (schil) from the product”, verb).

  1. A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.

    “Where did you pick up that skill?”

    “With great skill, she navigated through the tricky passage.”

  2. A reusable configuration (prompt) that defines how an AI agent performs a specific task.
  3. Discrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause.

    “Him so I sought, and so at last I fownd Where him that witch had thralled to her will, In chaines of lust and lewde desyres ybownd And so transformed from his former skill, That me he knew not, nether his owne ill;”

    “Methinks I should know you, and know this man; Yet I am doubtful; for I am mainly ignorant What place this is; and all the skill I have Remembers not these garments; nor I know not Where I did lodge last night. […]”

  4. Knowledge; understanding.

    “And Howell Dha shall goodly well indew The salvage minds with skill of just and trew;”

    “[…] This desert soil Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold; Nor want we skill or art from whence to raise Magnificence […]”

  5. Display of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address.

    “Richard was well ſtored with men, the bones; and quickly got money, the ſinews of warre; by a thousand Princely ſkills gathering ſo much coin as if he meant not to return, becauſe looking back would unbowe his reſolution.”

verb

Etymology: From Middle English skilen (also schillen), partly from Old English scilian (“to separate, part, divide off”); and partly from Old Norse skilja (“to divide, separate”); both from Proto-Germanic *skilōną, *skiljaną (“to divide, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skille (“to separate, discard”), Swedish skilja (“to distinguish, differentiate, part”), Icelandic skilja (“to understand”), Low German schelen (“to make a difference; to be squint-eyed”), Dutch schelen (“to make a difference”).

  1. To set apart; separate.
  2. To discern; have knowledge or understanding; to know how (to).

    “I cannot skill of these Thy ways […]”

  3. To know; to understand.

    “As for the virginals I have none here that skill of them, except the young lord.”

    “17th century, Isaac Barrow, “On Industry in Our Particular Calling as Scholars,” […] to skill the arts of expressing our mind and imparting our conceptions with advantage, so as to instruct or persuade others […]”

  4. To have knowledge or comprehension; discern.
  5. To have personal or practical knowledge; be versed or practised; be expert or dextrous.
  6. To make a difference; signify; matter.

    “So then the whole scripture of God, being true, whence soever this be delivered and gathered, it skilleth not […]”

    “[…] I should have given’t you to-day morning, but as a madman’s epistles are no gospels, so it skills not much when they are delivered.”

  7. To spend acquired points in exchange for skills.