peel
UK[piːl]US[piːl]
v
To remove the outer covering or skin from a fruit or vegetable.
v
To come off in strips or small pieces, as paint, skin, or bark.
n
The outer covering or rind of a fruit or vegetable.
Etymology
The word 'peel' originates from the Middle English 'pelen', which itself came from the Old French 'peler', meaning 'to remove the outer covering'. The Old French term traces back to the Latin 'pilare', 'to remove hair', derived from 'pilus', meaning 'hair'. This etymological journey illustrates a clear semantic shift from the literal act of removing hair to the more general modern sense of stripping off any thin outer layer, such as skin or rind. The logic connects the concept of a fine, hair-like covering to the thin, removable peel of fruits and vegetables, a classic example of meaning broadening over centuries of linguistic evolution.
Analysis
The modern English word 'peel' is a simplex form derived from a single, indivisible root. Its functional role is as a base verb or noun.
Examples
She taught the child how to peel an orange.
The old paint on the window frame began to peel and flake.
He slipped on a banana peel left on the sidewalk.