Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
SKIM
I. verb (skimmed; skimming) see: scum
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. to clear (a liquid) of scum or floating substance , to remove (as film or scum) from the surface of a liquid, to remove cream from by skimming, to remove the best or most easily obtainable contents from, to read, study, or examine superficially and rapidly, to throw in a gliding path, to cover with or as if with a film, scum, or coat, to pass swiftly or lightly over,
6. to remove or conceal (as a portion of casino profits) to avoid payment of taxes, embezzle , intransitive verb
1. to pass lightly or hastily ; glide or skip along, above, or near a surface, to give a cursory glance, consideration, or reading, to become coated with a thin layer of film or scum, to put on a finishing coat of plaster, to embezzle money,
II. noun
Date: 14th century
a thin layer, coating, or film, the act of skimming, something skimmed,
III. adjective
Date: 1794
having the cream removed by skimming, made of skim milk