peel

peel¹ [pi:l] v

[Date: 1200-1300; : Latin; Origin: pilare 'to remove the hair from', from pilus 'hair']

1.) [T]

to remove the skin from fruit or vegetables

▪ Peel and dice the potatoes.

2.)

if skin, paper, or paint peels, it comes off, usually in small pieces

peel from/off

▪ The paper was peeling from the wall.

▪ New skin grows, and the damaged skin peels off.

3.) [I]

to lose an outer layer or surface

▪ The walls were peeling from the damp.

4.) [T always + adverb/preposition]

to remove the outer layer from something

peel sth away/off/back

▪ Peel away the waxed paper from the bottom of the cake.

→keep your eyes peeled [i]at ↑eye¹ (18)

peel off phr v

1.) peel sth<=>off

to take your clothes off

▪ Tom peeled off his wet t-shirt and shorts.

2.) peel off $20/fifty pounds etc informal

to take a piece of paper money from the top of a pile of paper money

▪ Manville peeled off a twenty, and pressed it into the man's hand.

3.) to leave a moving group of vehicles, aircraft etc and go in a different direction

▪ Two motorcycles peeled off from the line.

peel ²

peel² n [U and C]

↑segment, ↑pith, ↑peel

the skin of some fruits and vegetables, especially the thick skin of fruits such as oranges, which you do not eat

→↑rind, zest ↑zest

▪ orange peel