peel
/piːl/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To remove the outer skin or covering from something. You can peel fruit, vegetables, paint, or a label.
- She peeled the orange before lunch.
- The old paint is peeling off the wall.
- Please peel the sticker off carefully.
noun
The outer skin or covering of a fruit or vegetable. It can also mean a piece of that covering.
- Apple peel can be used in baking.
- He threw the banana peel away.
- Keep the potato peels for soup.
Adinary Nuance
Use peel when something thin comes off the outside of a fruit, vegetable, or surface. It is more specific than remove or take off, which are broader and work in many situations. For skin, peel is often used when skin comes off in flakes or layers.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bóc
- Spanish
- pelar
- Chinese
- 剥
- Japanese
- 皮をむく
- Korean
- 껍질을 벗기다
Etymology
Peel comes from Middle English, and earlier from Old French peler, meaning 'to strip' or 'to skin'. The word has been used in English since the 14th century.
Common phrases
peel an orangepeel offfruit peelpeel back
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is peel the same as remove?
- Not exactly. Peel means to remove a thin outer layer, especially from food or skin.
- What is the difference between peel and skin?
- Peel is the action or the outer layer. Skin can be a noun for the outer layer, or a verb meaning to remove it.
- Can I say the paint is peeling?
- Yes. It means the top layer is coming off in thin pieces.
- Is peel a common word in business writing?
- Not often. It is more common in everyday speech and in descriptions.