Whoopsy daisy! Those new fuzzy socks make it easy to skid, or slide unexpectedly, across the wood floor.

Does skid sound Scandinavian? Because that's where etymologists think the word came from. It makes sense, since there's all that ice up there. The Vikings were most likely skidding around way before snow tires and anti-lock brakes came about to stop all the slippery fun. But a skid that gets out of control is never any good — that's why when someone's life slides into the dumps, you can say they "hit the skids."

Definitions of skid

n one of a pair of planks used to make a track for rolling or sliding objects

Type of:
board, plank


brake shoe, shoe
Type of:
constraint, restraint
a device that retards something's motion

n an unexpected slide

sideslip, slip
Type of:
coast, glide, slide

v move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner

“the wheels skidded against the sidewalk”
slew, slide, slip, slue
move forward or under in a sliding motion
Type of:
move smoothly and effortlessly

v slide without control

“the car skidded in the curve on the wet road”
Type of:
slew, slide, slip, slue
move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner

v apply a brake or skid to

Type of:
cause to stop by applying the brakes

v elevate onto skids

Type of:
bring up, elevate, get up, lift, raise
raise from a lower to a higher position

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