• IPA: /piːl/
  • IPA: [pʰiːɫ], [pʰiəɫ]

peel (peels, present participle peeling; past and past participle peeled)

1. (transitive) To remove the skin or outer covering of.

   I sat by my sister's bed, peeling oranges for her.

   • c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene iii]:

     The skillful shepherd peeled me certain wands.

2. (transitive) To remove something from the outer or top layer of.

   I peeled (the skin from) a banana and ate it hungrily.

   We peeled the old wallpaper off in strips where it was hanging loose.

3. (intransitive) To become detached, come away, especially in flakes or strips; to shed skin in such a way.

   I had been out in the sun too long, and my nose was starting to peel.

4. (intransitive) To remove one's clothing.

   The children peeled by the side of the lake and jumped in.

5. (intransitive) To move, separate (off or away).

   The scrum-half peeled off and made for the touchlines.

• (remove outer covering) skin, strip
• (remove clothing) disrobe, strip

• French: (peach,onion) peler, (vegetable,fruit) éplucher, (crustacean) décortiquer
• German: schälen
• Italian: pelare, sbucciare
• Portuguese: descascar
• Russian: очища́ть
• Spanish: pelar

peel

1. (usually, uncountable) The skin or outer layer of a fruit, vegetable, etc.
2. (countable, rugby) The action of peeling away from a formation.
3. (countable) A cosmetic preparation designed to remove dead skin or to exfoliate.

• (skin of a fruit) rind, zest

• French: (peach,onion) pelure, (vegetable,fruit) épluchure
• German: Schale
• Italian: buccia
• Portuguese: casca
• Russian: кожура́
• Spanish: cáscara

peel (plural peels)

1. (obsolete) A stake.
2. (obsolete) A fence made of stakes; a stockade.
3. (archaic) A small tower, fort, or castle; a keep.

peel (plural peels)

1. A shovel or similar instrument, now especially a pole with a flat disc at the end used for removing pizza or loaves of bread from a baker's oven.
2. A T-shaped implement used by printers and bookbinders for hanging wet sheets of paper on lines or poles to dry.
3. (archaic, US) The blade of an oar.

• French: pelle à four
• German: Brotschieber, Ofenschieber, Ofenschaufel
• Russian: лопа́та
• Spanish: pala

peel (plural peels)

1. (Scotland, curling) An equal or match; a draw.
2. (curling) A takeout which removes a stone from play as well as the delivered stone.

peel (peels, present participle peeling; past and past participle peeled)

1. (curling) To play a peel shot.

peel (peels, present participle peeling; past and past participle peeled)

1. (croquet) To send through a hoop (of a ball other than one's own).

peel (peels, present participle peeling; past and past participle peeled)

1. (archaic, transitive) To plunder; to pillage, rob.
   • 1671, John Milton, “Book the Fourth”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: Printed by J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], OCLC 228732398 ↗:

     But govern ill the nations under yoke, / Peeling their provinces.

peel (plural peels)

1. Alternative form of peal#English|peal (“a small or young salmon”)

1. Misspelling of peal: to sound loudly.
   • 1825 June 25, "My Village Bells", in The Circulator of Useful Knowledge, Literature, Amusement, and General Information number XXVI, available in, 1825, The Circulator of Useful Amusement, Literature, Science, and General Information, page 401,

     Oh ! still for me let merry bells peel out their holy chime;

   • 1901 January 1, "Twentieth Century's Triumphant Entry", The New York Times, page 1,

     The lights flashed, the crowds sang,... bells peeled, bombs thundered,... and the new Century made its triumphant entry.

   • 2006, Miles Richardson, Being-In-Christ and Putting Death in Its Place, Louisiana State University Press, ISBN 0807132047, pages 230–231,

     As the tiny Virgin... approaches one of the barrio churches, bells peel vigorously, a brass band launches into a fast-paced tune, and large rockets zoom... .

1. (countable) Surname
2. A placename
   1. A town in Isle of Man
   2. A county in Southern Ontario, Ontario
   3. regional municipality in Peel, Southern Ontario
3. (uncountable) Robert Peel, British Prime Minister.

• (county) Peel County, County of Peel
• (regional municipality) Peel Region, Region of Peel, Regional Municipality of Peel

• French: Peel