plural skis also ski
1
a
: one of a pair of narrow strips of wood, metal, or plastic curving upward in front that are used especially for gliding over snow
b
2
: a piece of material that resembles a ski and is used as a runner on a vehicle

ski

2 of 3

verb

intransitive verb

: to glide on skis in travel or as a sport

transitive verb

: to travel or pass over on skis
skier noun

skier

3 of 3

noun (2)

ski·​er
variants or less commonly skiier
ˈskēə(r) sometimes chiefly British ˈshē-
plural -s
: one that skis

Examples of ski in a Sentence

Verb I have skied that mountain before.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
As a budget-friendly alternative to Banff’s higher-profile ski resorts, consider hitting the slopes at Nakiska, a little over an hour’s drive from Calgary. — Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2026 Cordova launched in 2016 with 120 women’s ski suits and is now sold at retailers including Net-a-porter, Mytheresa and Moda Operandi. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
The Colorado Ski Country USA Kids Ski Passport offers kindergarten through sixth-grade students 76 days of skiing for $76. — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 On her Instagram, Ayers posted a series of photos of them together, mirror selfies, photos of them skiing, photos of them in a private jet, and many more. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ski

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Norwegian, from Old Norse skīth stick of wood, ski; akin to Old English scīd board, scēadan to divide — more at shed entry 1

Noun (2)

skier from ski entry 2 + -er; skiier from skii- (as in skiing) + -er

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of ski was in 1755

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ski.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ski. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

plural skis
: one of a pair of narrow strips of wood, metal, or plastic curving upward in front that are used for gliding over snow or water

ski

2 of 2 verb
skied; skiing
: to glide on skis
skier noun
Etymology

Noun

from Norwegian ski "a ski," from an early Norse word skīth "a stick of wood"

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