skate
UK[skeɪt]US[skeɪt]
v
to move on skates or a skateboard
n
a type of sports shoe with a metal blade or wheels attached for gliding over ice or a hard surface
n
a type of flat, diamond-shaped fish
Etymology
the word 'skate' for the ice-gliding device entered english in the mid-17th century from dutch 'schaats', which was borrowed from old french 'eschace' meaning 'stilt'. this old french term likely derives from a frankish source. the semantic shift from 'stilt' to 'ice skate' reflects a change in the object's function for gliding. the name for the fish, 'skate', has a separate origin, coming from old norse 'skata'. the convergence of these two distinct words into the identical modern english spelling is a coincidence of linguistic history.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword where the modern spelling and form do not allow for segmentation into meaningful, reusable morphemes based on its current english spelling.
Examples
we decided to skate on the frozen pond.
she bought a new pair of roller skates.
the fisherman caught a large skate in his net.