What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Flick vs Skim - What's the difference?

flick | skim |

As verbs the difference between flick and skim

is that flick is to move or hit (something) with a short, quick motion while skim is to pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.

As a noun flick

is a short, quick movement, especially a brush, sweep, or flip.

As an adjective skim is

(of milk) having lowered fat content.

flick

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A short, quick movement, especially a brush, sweep, or flip.
  • He removed the speck of dust with a flick of his finger.
    She gave a disdainful flick of her hair and marched out of the room.
  • *{{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=January 5 , author=Saj Chowdhury , title=Newcastle 0 - 0 West Ham , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=On this occasion it was Nolan's deft flick that fooled West Ham's sleepy defenders Danny Gabbidon and Tomkins. The ball found its way to Best, who smashed in with confidence from the edge of the area.}}
  • (informal) A motion picture; (in plural, usually preceded by "the") movie theater, cinema.
  • My all-time favorite flick is "Gone with the Wind."
    Want to go to the flicks tonight?
  • (fencing) A cut that lands with the point, often involving a whip of the foible of the blade to strike at a concealed target.
  • (tennis) A powerful underarm volley shot.
  • *{{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=June 28 , author=David Ornstein , title=Wimbledon 2011: Victoria Azarenka beats Tamira Paszek in quarters , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The fourth seed was dominating her 20-year-old opponent with a series of stinging groundstrokes and athletic drive-volleys, striking again in game five when Paszek flicked a forehand pick-up into the tramlines.}}
  • The act of pressing a place on a touch screen device.
  • A flitch.
  • a flick of bacon

    Synonyms

    * (short, quick movement)'' fillip (''of the finger ) * (cinema) the pictures

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To move or hit (something) with a short, quick motion.
  • flick one's hair
    with a flick of the wrist
    to flick the dirt from boots
  • * '>citation
  • Using her hands like windshield wipers, she tried to flick snow away from her mouth. When she clawed at her chest and neck, the crumbs maddeningly slid back onto her face. She grew claustrophobic.
    (Thackeray)

    Derived terms

    * flick knife * flick off * flick the bean

    skim

    English

    Verb

    (skimm)
  • To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, / Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main.
  • To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of.
  • * Hazlitt
  • Homer describes Mercury as flinging himself from the top of Olympus, and skimming the surface of the ocean.
  • To hasten along with superficial attention.
  • * I. Watts
  • They skim over a science in a very superficial survey.
  • To put on a finishing coat of plaster.
  • to throw an object so it bounces on water (skimming stones )
  • to ricochet
  • to read quickly, skipping some detail
  • I skimmed the newspaper over breakfast.
  • to scrape off; to remove (something) from a surface
  • to clear (a liquid) from scum or substance floating or lying on it, by means of a utensil that passes just beneath the surface.
  • to skim''' milk; to '''skim broth
  • to clear a liquid from (scum or substance floating or lying on it), especially the cream that floats on top of fresh milk
  • to skim cream

    Derived terms

    * skim through * skim over * skim off * skimmed milk * skimmer * semi-skimmed

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (of milk) Having lowered fat content.
  • Derived terms

    * skim milk