peel

peel — verb

1. to pull or cut away the outside skin of fruit or vegetables so the part inside c

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to pull or cut away the outside skin of fruit or vegetables so the part inside can be eaten or cooked.

例句

Lina peeled three apples for the pie before her guests arrived.

peel + fruit for cooking

Please peel the potatoes and leave them in cold water.

peel + vegetable

同義詞
  • pare

    usually means cutting off a thin layer with a knife, often carefully

  • skin

    common for potatoes, tomatoes, and also animals; sounds more practical

  • strip

    suggests pulling the outer part away, often in longer pieces

文法句型

peel + fruit/vegetable

peel + something + for cooking

用法筆記

Object is usually a fruit or vegetable. Unlike sense 2, this sense is about preparing food, not removing paint, paper, or another covering from a surface.

常見錯誤

❌Please shell these potatoes before dinner.
✅Please peel these potatoes before dinner.
💡use 'peel' for the skin of vegetables; 'shell' is for eggs, nuts, or peas.

2. to come away from a surface in thin pieces, or to lift that top layer off slowly

2.動詞及物 / 不及物C2
釋義

to come away from a surface in thin pieces, or to lift that top layer off slowly with your hands.

例句

The old blue paint began to peel from the kitchen door.

intransitive: layer peels from a surface

We peeled the wet wallpaper off the bedroom wall by hand.

transitive: peel + covering + off

同義詞
  • flake off

    focuses on small pieces coming away by themselves

  • strip off

    often suggests removing the whole layer more forcefully

  • come away

    neutral phrase for a loose layer separating from a surface

反義詞
  • stick

    to stay fixed to a surface instead of coming away

  • adhere

    formal word meaning to remain attached

文法句型

[layer] + peels from + surface

peel + covering + off/away/back

用法筆記

Often appears with particles such as 'off', 'away', and 'back'. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is for paint, paper, tape, labels, and similar coverings, not sunburned skin.

常見錯誤

❌The paint peeled because of the hot sun on my skin.
✅My skin peeled because of the hot sun.
💡use this sense for a covering on an object or surface, not for your body.

3. if your skin peels, small pieces of its top layer come away, usually after too m

3.動詞不及物B2
釋義

if your skin peels, small pieces of its top layer come away, usually after too much sun.

例句

After the beach trip, Leo's nose started to peel.

body part + start to peel

My shoulders peeled for days after I forgot sunscreen.

同義詞
  • flake

    often describes tiny dry pieces of skin coming away

  • shed

    broader word for losing an outer layer, hair, or skin

文法句型

[skin/body part] + peels

be peeling after sunburn

用法筆記

Subject is usually skin itself or a named body part such as your nose, back, or shoulders. Unlike sense 2, this use normally suggests sunburn rather than paint, paper, or another material coming loose.

常見錯誤

❌My arm is peeling because the sticker was old.
✅My arm is peeling because I stayed in the sun too long.
💡this sense is about skin coming off your body, usually after sunburn.

peel — noun