skittle

Meanings

Plural: skittles

Noun

a bowling pin of the type used in playing ninepins or (in England) skittles
One of the wooden targets used in skittles.

Verb

play skittles
To play skittles.
(with down) To squander one's money.
(sometimes with out) To rapidly bowl out a succession of batsmen.
(sometimes with out) To rapidly bowl out a succession of batsmen.
To defeat easily.
To knock down (skittles).

Origin / Etymology

Origin unknown. Perhaps of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse skutill (“bolt, harpoon”), related to skjóta (“to shoot”), but the OED dismisses this connection as conjecture. The Old Norse word is related to Swedish and Danish skyttel (“shuttle, child's toy”). Compare also Old English sċytel (“a dart, bolt”). More at shuttle.

Synonyms

ninepin, skittle pin

Scrabble Score: 11

skittle is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
skittle is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
skittle is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

skittle is a valid Words With Friends word