skate¹ / skāt/ • n. an ice skate or roller skate. ∎  a device, typically with wheels on the underside, used to move a heavy or unwieldy object.• v. [intr.] move on ice skates or roller skates in a gliding fashion: the boys were skating on the ice. ∎  [tr.] perform (a specified figure) on skates: figure eights skated entirely on one foot. ∎  ride on a skateboard. ∎  (skate over/around) fig. pass over or refer only fleetingly to (a subject or problem): she seemed to skate over the next part of her story. ∎  (skate through) fig. make quick and easy progress through: he admits he had expected to skate through the system.DERIVATIVES: skat·er n.skate² • n. (pl. same or skates ) a typically large marine fish of the ray family (Rajidae) with a cartilaginous skeleton and a flattened diamond-shaped body, in particular the commercially valuable Raja batis. ∎  the flesh of a skate or thornback used as food.

skate2 device fixed on the sole of a boot for gliding over ice. XVII. orig. in pl. scates, occas. scatses — Du. schaats (pl. schaatsen), in MDu. schaetse — (with unexpl. development of sense) ONF. escace, OF. eschasse (mod. échasse) stilt. The -s of the Du. word was apprehended as a pl. ending.
Hence vb. XVII.

skate Flattened, food fish belonging to the ray family, living mainly in shallow temperate and tropical waters. The pectoral fins are greatly expanded to form wing-like flaps. Length: to about 2.5m (8ft). Family Rajidae.

skate Cartilaginous fish, Raja undulata.

skate See RAJIDAE.