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by the skin of one's teeth

skin
B b

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [skin]
    • /baɪ stressed ði skɪn ʌv, ɒv wʌnz tiθ/
    • /baɪ ðə skɪn əv wʌnz tiːθ/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [skin]
    • /baɪ stressed ði skɪn ʌv, ɒv wʌnz tiθ/

Definitions of by the skin of one's teeth words

  • noun by the skin of one's teeth by a narrow margin; only just 3
  • noun by the skin of one's teeth by the smallest possible margin; barely 3
  • noun by the skin of one's teeth the external covering or integument of an animal body, especially when soft and flexible. 1
  • noun by the skin of one's teeth such an integument stripped from the body of an animal, especially a small animal; pelt: a beaver skin. 1
  • noun by the skin of one's teeth the tanned or treated pelt or hide of an animal, especially when used in apparel and accessories; leather (usually used in combination): pigskin; calfskin. 1
  • noun by the skin of one's teeth any integumentary covering, casing, outer coating, or surface layer, as an investing membrane, the rind or peel of fruit, or a film on liquid: a skin of thin ice; the aluminum skin of an airplane. 1
See all 42 definitions of by the skin of one's teeth

Information block about the term

Origin of by the skin of one's teeth

First appearance:

before 1150
One of the 7% oldest English words
1150-1200; Middle English (noun) < Old Norse skinn; cognate with dialectal German Schinde skin of fruit

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for By the skin of one's teeth

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of By the skin of one's teeth

by the skin of one's teeth popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

Synonyms for by the skin of one's teeth

adv by the skin of one's teeth

  • strictly — in a strict manner; rigorously; stringently: strictly enforced.
  • hard — not soft; solid and firm to the touch; unyielding to pressure and impenetrable or almost impenetrable.
  • jointly — together; in combination or partnership; in common: My brother and I own the farm jointly.
  • intimately — associated in close personal relations: an intimate friend.
  • sharply — having a thin cutting edge or a fine point; well-adapted for cutting or piercing: a sharp knife.
All 17 Synonyms of by the skin of one's teeth

See also

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