What does skim mean?
To skim is to move quickly across the surface of something, especially a text, without giving close attention to every detail. A person who skims a newspaper or report is looking for main ideas, important names, or relevant passages rather than studying the material thoroughly. The word can also describe removing a thin layer from the surface of a liquid, as in skimming cream from milk, or passing lightly over a physical surface. In everyday use, skimming a text usually carries a mildly critical implication: the material may have been surveyed but not properly read. However, skimming can also be a practical reading strategy when a reader is searching for specific information or trying to understand a document’s general structure. The word is common in both British and American English and is especially frequent in discussions of reading speed, news consumption, research, and financial activity.
To read or examine something quickly and superficially; to move lightly over its surface; or to remove a thin layer from a liquid or solid.
"I skimmed the email to find the date of the appointment."
When used for reading, skim contrasts with studying or reading closely. With liquids, it commonly refers to removing a floating layer such as cream or fat.
A quick, superficial reading of a text or document, or a thin layer removed from the surface of a liquid.
"He took a quick skim of the letter before replying."
The noun is usually countable when referring to a quick reading; it is less common in the sense of a removed liquid layer.
The plural skims is used for separate quick readings or for thin layers that have been removed.
"The editor gave the document several quick skims before deciding what to publish."
To skim a text is to catch its overall shape without stopping at every word.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of skim
The word skim is attested in English with senses connected both with moving lightly over a surface and with reading quickly. Its precise origin is historically uncertain, and modern etymological sources do not establish a simple, secure derivation that can be stated without qualification. The meaning developed broadly from the idea of taking only what lies at or near the surface, which later extended to rapid or superficial reading.
Related word forms
How skim is actually used
In its reading sense, skim often implies that the material has not been read closely or thoroughly. In its liquid sense, it refers to removing a floating layer, especially cream or fat.
Easily confused with skim
Scanning can involve looking over material systematically for information, while skimming usually emphasizes reading or moving over something quickly without close attention.
A glimpse is a brief view of something, whereas skimming is an action involving moving quickly over a text or surface.