skill

Etymology 1

From Middle English skill, skille (also schil, schile), from Old English scille and Old Norse skil (“a distinction, discernment, knowledge”), from Proto-Germanic *skilją (“separation, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skel (“a separation, boundary, divide”), Swedish skäl (“reason”), Dutch verschil (“difference”) and schillen (“to separate the outer layer (schil) from the product”, verb).

noun

1. Capacity to do something well; technique, ability. Skills are usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities, which are often thought of as innate.
   Where did you pick up that skill?
   With great skill, she navigated through the tricky passage.
   Doing that coaching course not only taught me useful skills on the field, but also some important life skills.
   The skill was not in creating a grid full of words, but in producing clues cryptic enough to baffle the puzzler, yet constructed so honestly that they could be solved by any intelligent person who knew the conventions. 2013-11-26, Simon Hoggart, “Araucaria's last puzzle: crossword master dies”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 26, page 43
2. (obsolete) Discrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause.
3. (obsolete) Knowledge; understanding.
   'I kenna whatna man ye are,' he says, 'but ye have the skill of lassies' hearts. Tell me truly, is there no way to win her to common love?' 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide
4. (obsolete) Display of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address.

adj

1. (UK, slang) Great, excellent.
   Well, unfortunately for you, my dearest Waggipoos, I'm much more skill than you! 1987 June, Teresa Maughan, “Letters”, in Your Sinclair, number 18
   This game is skill. Remember that because it's going to sound really complicated. 1991, Wreckers (video game review in Crash issue 88, May 1991)
   And I am skiller than you. 1999, Andy Smith, “I am well skill”, in alt.digitiser (Usenet)

Etymology 2

From Middle English skilen (also schillen), partly from Old English scilian (“to separate, part, divide off”); and partly from Old Norse skilja (“to divide, separate”); both from Proto-Germanic *skilōną, *skiljaną (“to divide, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Cognate with Danish skille (“to separate, discard”), Swedish skilja (“to distinguish, differentiate, part”), Icelandic skilja (“to understand”), Low German schelen (“to make a difference; to be squint-eyed”), Dutch schelen (“to make a difference”).

verb

1. (transitive) To set apart; separate.
2. (transitive, chiefly dialectal) To discern; have knowledge or understanding; to know how (to).
   I cannot skill of these Thy ways […] 1633, George Herbert, “Justice”, in The Temple
3. (transitive, dialectal, Scotland, Northern England, rare) To know; to understand.
   As for the virginals I have none here that skill of them, except the young lord. 1613, Breadalbane Letters, Documents
   17th century, Isaac Barrow, “On Industry in Our Particular Calling as Scholars,” […] to skill the arts of expressing our mind and imparting our conceptions with advantage, so as to instruct or persuade others […]
4. (intransitive) To have knowledge or comprehension; discern.
5. (intransitive) To have personal or practical knowledge; be versed or practised; be expert or dextrous.
6. (intransitive, archaic) To make a difference; signify; matter.
   So then the whole scripture of God, being true, whence soever this be delivered and gathered, it skilleth not […] 1592, Richard Turnbull, An Exposition upon the Canonicall Epistle of Saint Jude, London: John Windet, Sermon 5, p. 67
   What skills it, if a bag of stones or gold About thy neck do drown thee? 1633, George Herbert, “The Church Porch”, in The Temple
7. (video games) To spend acquired points in exchange for skills.