skidding
UK[ˈskɪdɪŋ]US[ˈskɪdɪŋ]
v
(present participle) To slide, typically sideways or obliquely, on a slippery surface, especially while moving.
v
(present participle) To fail to maintain traction, as of a vehicle's wheels.
Etymology
The journey of 'skid' into English is one of practical objects evolving into abstract actions. It derives from Old Norse 'skíð', which referred to a wooden plank or a ski. This concrete noun entered Middle English, retaining the sense of a wooden beam used as a support or runner. The modern verb sense, meaning to slide on such a runner or to slip uncontrollably, developed in the 17th century, transferring the idea of smooth, guided (or unguided) motion along a wooden surface to the more general phenomenon of a sliding loss of traction. This semantic shift from a noun denoting a sliding apparatus to a verb describing the sliding action itself illustrates a classic pattern of functional evolution in language.
Analysis
The word 'skid' is considered a simplex unit in modern English. It likely originates from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse 'skíð' (meaning a billet of wood or a ski), and entered Middle English. The '-ing' is a productive English suffix forming the present participle or gerund, but it is not considered a separate morpheme for the core lexical analysis of the base word.
Examples
The car went skidding across the icy road into the ditch.
He lost control, his back wheel skidding on the wet leaves.
The plane's landing was rough, with the tires skidding briefly on the tarmac.