skew-whiff

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj

Askew; lopsided, not straight.

Pronunciation

/ˈskjuː.(w)ɪf/ /ˈskiː.wɪf/ en-au-skew-whiff.ogg

Word forms

skew-whiff more skew-whiff most skew-whiff skew-wift skew wift skew wiff skew-wiff scew-whiff skew whift skew-whift skew whiff skewiff ski whiff squewiff skewquieff

Etymology

From skew + weft. The expression 'skew weft' dates at least from the 18th century as a term used by handloom weavers, typically in northern England. It was used originally to describe fabric which was out of alignment, and the term survives today in the manufacture of glass fiber cloth. The word weft does not derive from 'whiff' as in a puff of air (as suggested elsewhere). The modern spelling comes from a corruption of 'skew-wift' whose sound developed colloquially in spoken English from the original. Bow weft also exists.

Synonyms

awry agee

Related words

squiffy

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

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