▪ I. skink, n.1 Zool.
(skɪŋk)
Forms: α. 6, 9 scinc, 7, 9 scinck, 7–9 scink. β. 7 skinke, 8 skinc(k, 6– skink.
[a. older F. scinc (now scinque), or ad. L. scincus, ad. Gr. σκίγκος.]
A small lizard (Scincus officinalis) common in northern Africa and Arabia, formerly regarded as of great value in medicine for its stimulative qualities; also, any lizard belonging to the same family (the Scincidæ).
| α 1590 P. Barrough Meth. Physick 182 Also the parts of scinces which embrace the reines. 1608 Topsell Serpents (1658) 693 There have been some that have reckoned Scinks and Lizards among worms. 1681 Grew Musæum i. iii. 48 The Scink..hath..short Legs, a flat and broad Foot like a Hand, with very short Toes. 1775 Phil. Trans. LXV. 246 Gulls, the scink, the leech,..&c. are all said to feel..approaching changes of weather. 1802 Shaw Gen. Zool. III. i. 281 The Scink is one of the middle-sized or smaller lizards. 1854 Orr's Circ. Sci., Org. Nat. I. 275 Herbivorous..scinks, called, on account of the shape of the teeth, cyclodus. 1872 Humphry Myology 37 In the Scinc this portion..is quite separate in its whole length. |
| β 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. vi. 200 Th' horned Cerastes, th' Alexandrian Skink. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 316 Much like to this kind is the Skink (whom some haue named the land Crocodile). 1718 Quincy Compl. Disp. 171 Skincks.—Some Authors have ascribed much to these as Alexipharmicks. 1831 Griffith tr. Cuvier IX. 237 The skink of pharmacopolists..does not exceed the length of six or eight inches. 1880 Cassell's Nat. Hist. IV. 296 The Skink inhabits the western and northern parts of Africa. |
| attrib. and Comb. 1790 J. White Jrnl. Voy. N.S. Wales 242 The Scincoid, or Skinc-formed Lizard. 1896 Lydekker Roy. Nat. Hist. V. 166 The skink tribe..are a very numerous family. |
▪ II. skink, n.2 Now rare.
Also 7 skinck, skinke.
[In sense 1 ad. early mod.Du. or LG. schenke, repr. MDu., MLG., and MHG. schenke (rarely schinke), OS. skenkio, OHG. scenko, scencho, etc. In sense 2 from skink v.]
1. A skinker; a tapster or waiter. In later use only spec. (see quot. 1847).
| 1603 J. Davies (Heref.) Microcosmos Wks. (Grosart) I. 21/1 O Skinck, how blessed wert thou in his loue That drue thee on. 1786 Francis the Philanthropist I. 172 Mr. Francis and his companion had friends of every rank, from the humble skink to the dignified..doctor. 1847 Halliw. s.v., In a family the person latest at breakfast is called the skink, or the skinker, and some domestic office is imposed or threatened for the day, such as ringing the bell, putting coal on the fire, or, in other cases, drawing the beer for the family. |
2. a. Sc. Drink, liquor. (In contemptuous use.)
| 1824 Scott St. Ronan's xxxii, The wine!..puir, thin, fushionless skink it was. 1844 Ballantine Miller Deanhaugh xvi. 247 Jail beer was poor, thin skink for gentlemen who had drank claret after dinner every day for twenty years. |
b. pl. (See quot.)
| 1888 Jacobi Printers' Vocab. 126 Skinks, an old term applied to drink—or drinking around the imposing stone in order to celebrate some auspicious occasion. |
▪ III. skink, n.3 Sc. Obs. exc. Hist.
Also 7 skinck.
[prob. ad. MLG. schinke (see next), either with ellipse of some word for ‘broth’, or with simple transference from the meat to the liquid.]
A kind of soup made from shin of beef. Also attrib.
| c 1575 Balfour Practicks (1754) 235 The air sall haue..ane butter-plait, ane skink-plait, ane beif plait, ane luggit disch. 1602 in Henderson Old World Scotl. (1893) 14 Ane dische of bruise, and ane uther of skink or kaill. 1626 Bacon Sylva §45 Wee finde also that Scotch Skinck (which is a Pottage of strong Nourishment,) is made with the Knees, and Sinewes of Beefe, but long boiled. a 1682 Sempill Blythsome Wedding 72 There will be meal-kail and castocks, And skink to sup till you rive. 1790 Shirrefs Poems 210 Guid barley broth and skink came next. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm II. 169 It was of this piece that the old favourite soup of Scotland, called skink, was made. 1893 Henderson Old World Scotl. 57 Its quality was very similar to that of the strong Lowland soup called skink. |
▪ IV. † skink, n.4 Obs.—1
[ad. LG. schinke (G. schinken), OHG. scinca, scinco.]
Ham.
| 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Gt. Eater Kent 12 He cares not for..the sawsedge of Bolognia, the skink of Westphalia. |
▪ V. † skink, n.5
Obs. variant of skunk n.
| 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. III. ix. 381 The skink..resembles a polecat in shape and size. 1809 Spirit Public Jrnls. XIII. 2 Where'er the skink-ey'd Gallic pest Flings taint and uproar o'er the ball. 1824 Coleridge Aids Refl. (1848) I. 90 As..the skink and squash are treated by American woodmen, who turn their backs upon the fetid intruder. |
▪ VI. skink, v. Now dial. or arch.
Forms: 4 skynke, 6–7 skinke (6 skincke, 7 scinke); 6 (9) skynk, skinck, 6– skink.
[ad. MDu. or MLG. schenken (cf. OFris. skenka; ON. skenkja, Sw. skänka, Da. skænke), corresp. to OE. scencan shench v.]
1. trans. To pour out or draw (liquor); to offer, present, serve (drink, etc.).
| c 1386 Chaucer Merch. T. 478 Bacus the wyn hem skynketh al aboute. 1513 Douglas æneid vii. iii. 90 In flacon and in skull Thai skynk the wyne. 1607 W. Barksted Mirrha (1876) 45 The Queen of loue..forc'd her to skinke so much, the iuice ran ore. 1635 Shirley Lady of Pleas. iv. ii, A drawer is my Ganymede: he shall skink Brisk nectar to us. 1667 Davenant & Dryden Tempest iv. iii, Hem! skink about his grace's health again. 1728 Ramsay Last Sp. Miser xxvii, And like dub-water skink the wine. 1806 R. Jamieson Pop. Ballads I. 221 They skinked the mead, and they skinked the wine. 1899 Lumsden Edin. Poems & Sangs 130 Stout Scots drink to me skynk. |
† 2. To fill with liquor; to pour liquor into. Obs.
| 1513 Douglas æneid vii. iii. 62 Now skynk, and offer Jupiter, coupis full. 1558 T. Phaer æneid vii. S iv b, Now skinke your cups to Ioue, and great Anchises cheerely cal. 1594 Greene & Lodge Looking Gl. H, Ile haue them skincke my standing bowles with wine. |
3. absol. To draw, pour out, or serve drink; to wait on a company (see quot. 1785).
| 1591 Fletcher Russe Commonw. (Hakl. Soc.) 17 For that cause [they] called this newe citie by the name of Naloi, that is skinck or poure in. 1594 Greene & Lodge Looking Gl. Wks. (Grosart) XIV. 93 Villaines, why skinck you not vnto this fellow? 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Penniless Pilgr. Wks. i. 123/2 And No-body did drinke, and winke, and scinke. 1676 Hobbes Iliad i. 562 And then the Gods laught..outright, To see the lame and sooty Vulcan skink. 1755 Smollett Quix. iv. xiv. II. 425 Truce with your compliments and skink away, honest Tosilos. 1785 Grose Dict. Vulgar T., To skink, is to wait on the company, ring the bell, stir the fire, and snuff the candles; the duty of the youngest officer in a military mess. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia 304 Skink, to serve at table; particularly to serve the guests with drink. 1845 S. Judd Margaret ii. vi. (1871) 260 Come crush a glass with..all this nice company. You have skinked quite long enough. |
† 4. Sc. To make a present of; to make over to another. Obs. rare.
| 1508 Burgh Rec. Edin. (1882) I. 117 Vpoun his gude warkmaneschip and gyding thai skynk him the tymmer of the auld ruf. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1848) lxxxv. 156 If this had not been, I would have skinked over and foregone my part of paradise and salvation, for a breakfast of dead, moth-eaten earth. Ibid. lxxxviii. 163 Do we not sit far in our own light, to make it a matter of bairn's play, to skink and drink over paradise. |
Hence ˈskinked ppl. a.
| 1598 Florio, Mesciuto, skinkt, powred or filde wine. |