peel

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   To take the skin or outer layer off a fruit, vegetable, or similar food.

   Grammar: Takes an object: peel the potatoes. Often used with a tool or by hand.

   Patterns

   • peel something
   • peel something for someone
   • peel something with something

   She peeled the oranges and gave everyone a slice.

   Peel the carrots before you chop them.

   He peeled an apple with a small knife.

2. 2verbtransitive

   To remove a covering, layer, or piece of clothing from a surface or body.

   Grammar: Takes an object; often used with off or away: peel the label off.

   Patterns

   • peel something off something
   • peel something away
   • peel something back

   He peeled the sticker off the glass.

   She peeled the wet socks off her feet.

   They peeled the old wallpaper from the wall.

3. 3verbintransitive

   To come off in thin pieces or layers, especially of paint, skin, or a surface.

   Grammar: No object; often followed by off or away: the paint is peeling off.

   Patterns

   • peel off
   • peel away
   • peel from something

   The paint on the door is peeling badly.

   My skin peeled after a day in the sun.

   The old paper was peeling away from the wall.

4. 4nouncountable or uncountable

   The skin or outer covering of a fruit or vegetable, often removed before eating.

   Grammar: Can be countable (a peel) or uncountable (some peel); usually the peel in cooking contexts.

   Patterns

   • the peel of something
   • orange peel
   • lemon peel

   She added some lemon peel to the cake.

   Put the potato peel in the bin.

   The recipe calls for the peel of one orange.

Word forms

Common combinations

peel potatoes

I need to peel potatoes for dinner.

peel off

The label peeled off easily.

orange peel

Orange peel adds a fresh taste to tea.

peel back

He peeled back the cover to look inside.

peel away

The wallpaper began to peel away.

Synonyms and how they differ

skin

Used more for removing the skin of animals or fish, or as a noun; peel is the usual verb for fruit and vegetables.

strip

Suggests removing a whole layer quickly or roughly, often not food; peel is gentler and common with fruit.

pare

A more formal or technical word for cutting off a thin outer layer, especially with a knife.

Word family

peeler noun

A tool for removing the skin from vegetables or fruit.

peeling noun

A piece of skin or layer that has come off.

Commonly confused: peel or peal?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “peel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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