Word Study
skew
CIDE DICTIONARY
skew, adv. [Cf. D. scheef. Dan. skiv, Sw. skef, Icel. skeifr, G. schief, also E. shy, a. & v. i.].
Awry; obliquely; askew. [1913 Webster]
skew, a.
Turned or twisted to one side; situated obliquely; skewed; -- chiefly used in technical phrases. [1913 Webster]
"This requires that the numbers in the diagonal from the upper left to lower right corner be zeros. A like determinant in which the numbers in the diagonal are not zeros is a skew determinant, as in (2), above." [1913 Webster]
skew, n.
A stone at the foot of the slope of a gable, the offset of a buttress, or the like, cut with a sloping surface and with a check to receive the coping stones and retain them in place. [1913 Webster]
skew, v. i.
- To walk obliquely; to go sidling; to lie or move obliquely. [1913 Webster]"Child, you must walk straight, without skewing." [1913 Webster]
- To start aside; to shy, as a horse. [1913 Webster]
- To look obliquely; to squint; hence, to look slightingly or suspiciously. Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster]
- To shape or form in an oblique way; to cause to take an oblique position. [1913 Webster]
- To throw or hurl obliquely. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
skew, adj., n., & v.
--adj.
1 oblique, slanting, set askew.
2 Math. a lying in three dimensions (skew curve). b (of lines) not coplanar. c (of a statistical distribution) not symmetrical.
--n.
1 a slant.
2 Statistics skewness.
--v.
1 tr. make skew.
2 tr. distort.
3 intr. move obliquely.
4 intr. twist.
--adj.
1 oblique, slanting, set askew.
2 Math. a lying in three dimensions (skew curve). b (of lines) not coplanar. c (of a statistical distribution) not symmetrical.
--n.
1 a slant.
2 Statistics skewness.
--v.
1 tr. make skew.
2 tr. distort.
3 intr. move obliquely.
4 intr. twist.
Idiom
on the skew askew. skew arch (or bridge) an arch (or bridge) with the line of the arch not at right angles to the abutment. skew chisel a chisel with an oblique edge. skew-eyed Brit. squinting. skew gear a gear consisting of two cog-wheels having non-parallel, non-intersecting axes. skew-whiff Brit. colloq. askew.
Derivative
skewness n.
Etymology
ONF eskiu(w)er (v.) = OF eschuer: see ESCHEW
THESAURUS
skew
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