skimmed
UK[skɪmd]US[skɪmd]
v
(past tense and past participle of 'skim') To remove a substance, such as fat or solids, from the surface of a liquid.
v
To read or look over something quickly to understand the main ideas without studying the details.
v
To move quickly and lightly over or across a surface without penetrating deeply.
Etymology
The verb 'skim' entered Middle English in the late 14th century, likely from the Old French 'escumer' (to remove scum), which itself derived from 'escume' (scum, foam), a word of Frankish origin. The Frankish source is related to the Old High German 'scūm' (foam), pointing to a Proto-Germanic root. The core concept is the action of removing the top, lightest layer from a liquid, such as cream from milk or impurities from a broth. This literal sense of gliding over a surface to remove something logically extended to the metaphorical meanings of moving lightly over a surface (like a stone skimming water) and reading superficially to gather only the surface-level or most important points.
Analysis
The word 'skimmed' is the past tense/past participle form of the verb 'skim'. The base 'skim' is considered a simplex word of uncertain, likely Scandinavian origin. The suffix '-ed' is a productive inflectional suffix from Old English, used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
She skimmed the cream from the top of the fresh milk.
I only had time to skim the report before the meeting.
The small plane skimmed the treetops as it approached the landing strip.