skink
1 of 2verb
ˈskiŋk 
skinked; skinking; skinks
transitive verb
chiefly dialectal
: to draw, pour out, or serve (drink)
skink
2 of 2noun
: any of a family (Scincidae) of typically small insectivorous lizards with long tapering bodies
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 11 Apr. 2020 Overall, the study suggests that there is some evolutionary advantage for having green blood that skinks from various habitats all developed over time. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 17 May 2018 Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2022 See a small fiddler crab scuttling along a log; a skink's dark and half-closed eye; a tiny green buffalo treehopper clinging, upside-down, to a leaf; a Brazilian verbena flower so small that dozens could fit on a quarter. Star Tribune, 29 June 2021 The Persian striped skink (Eumeces persicus), discovered in 2017 in Iran, was on sale within three months. Pavel Toropov, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 June 2021 These hunts have helped to save local populations of two threatened species—the greater bilby, a small, large-eared native marsupial, and the great desert skink. Anthony Ham, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Mar. 2021 That’s the Western skink, which has dark brown and light beige stripes, one edged in black, on a body that wields that astonishing tail. Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2021 The flooding killed a blue-tongued skink lizard, one of the many animals that call the science and technology museum home. Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 19 Feb. 2021 These animals, such as the Western three-toed skink or Transvaal grass lizard, still have teeny arms or legs, but those are mostly useless. Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2020 But five species of skink lizards native to New Guinea and the Soloman Islands have brilliant bright green liquid pumping through their circulatory system. Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Oct. 2020 See More
Verb
The mode skinks use to reproduce generally corresponds with their environment. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 11 Apr. 2020 Overall, the study suggests that there is some evolutionary advantage for having green blood that skinks from various habitats all developed over time. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 17 May 2018 Noun
And though our crew had logged dozens of interesting finds, including an eastern hognose snake and a five-lined skink, the target species had yet to be seen. Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2022 See a small fiddler crab scuttling along a log; a skink's dark and half-closed eye; a tiny green buffalo treehopper clinging, upside-down, to a leaf; a Brazilian verbena flower so small that dozens could fit on a quarter. Star Tribune, 29 June 2021 The Persian striped skink (Eumeces persicus), discovered in 2017 in Iran, was on sale within three months. Pavel Toropov, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 June 2021 These hunts have helped to save local populations of two threatened species—the greater bilby, a small, large-eared native marsupial, and the great desert skink. Anthony Ham, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Mar. 2021 That’s the Western skink, which has dark brown and light beige stripes, one edged in black, on a body that wields that astonishing tail. Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2021 The flooding killed a blue-tongued skink lizard, one of the many animals that call the science and technology museum home. Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 19 Feb. 2021 These animals, such as the Western three-toed skink or Transvaal grass lizard, still have teeny arms or legs, but those are mostly useless. Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2020 But five species of skink lizards native to New Guinea and the Soloman Islands have brilliant bright green liquid pumping through their circulatory system. Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Oct. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, from Middle Dutch schenken; akin to Old English scencan to pour out drink and probably to scanca shank
Noun
Latin scincus, from Greek skinkos
First Known Use
Verb
1866, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1590, in the meaning defined above