Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Peel?

\Peel\, n. [OE. pel. Cf. {Pile} a heap.] A small tower, fort, or castle; a keep. [Scot.]
\Peel\, n. [F. pelle, L. pala.] A spadelike implement, variously used, as for removing loaves of bread from a baker's oven; also, a T-shaped implement used by printers and bookbinders for hanging wet sheets of paper on lines or poles to dry. Also, the blade of an oar.
\Peel\, v. t. [Confused with peel to strip, but fr. F. piller to pillage. See {Pill} to rob, {Pillage}.] To plunder; to pillage; to rob. [Obs.] But govern ill the nations under yoke, Peeling their provinces. --Milton.
\Peel\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Peeled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Peeling}.] [F. peler to pull out the hair, to strip, to peel, fr. L. pilare to deprive of hair, fr. pilus a hair; or perh. partly fr. F. peler to peel off the skin, perh. fr. L. pellis skin (cf. {Fell} skin). Cf. {Peruke}.] 1. To strip off the skin, bark, or rind of; to strip by drawing or tearing off the skin, bark, husks, etc.; to flay; to decorticate; as, to peel an orange. The skillful shepherd peeled me certain wands. --Shak. 2. To strip or tear off; to remove by stripping, as the skin of an animal, the bark of a tree, etc.
\Peel\, v. i. To lose the skin, bark, or rind; to come off, as the skin, bark, or rind does; -- often used with an adverb; as, the bark peels easily or readily.
\Peel\, n. The skin or rind; as, the peel of an orange.