What does skittle mean?
A skittle is a wooden bowling pin, especially one of the pins used in the traditional game of skittles. The game resembles bowling but traditionally uses nine pins arranged in a triangle, with players rolling a heavy ball toward them to knock as many down as possible. The plural, skittles, can refer either to the set of pins or to the game itself, as in “a game of skittles.” In British informal use, the verb skittle means to knock someone down with a ball, as in bowling or another ball game. The word is especially associated with older versions of the sport, before ten-pin bowling became the dominant form. Today, it is often encountered in descriptions of traditional games, pubs, gardens, and other settings where skittles are played for recreation.
A wooden pin used in the game of skittles.
"The ball knocked two skittles over."
In the plural, skittles can mean the collection of pins or the game itself.
To knock someone down, typically with a ball.
"The pitcher's fast delivery skittled the batter."
Chiefly British and informal.
The plural can refer to the set of wooden pins or to the game of skittles itself.
"They played skittles on the green after dinner."
Before ten-pin bowling became dominant, skittles was one of the classic forms of the sport: simple wooden pins, rolling balls, and the satisfaction of a clean knockdown.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does skittle come from?
The word comes through Middle English from an Old English form associated with a small wooden object, likely a peg or pin. Its development was influenced by Middle Dutch and other northern European vocabulary for similar objects. The modern sense for a bowling pin and the name of the game developed during the early history of bowling, when nine-pin arrangements were commonly played.
Related word forms
How skittle is actually used
The noun is standard in British English and is also familiar in other English-speaking countries. The verb is chiefly informal and British, and usually describes knocking a person down with a thrown or bowled ball.