Snakeskins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of shedding from serpents that consists of the outer layer of skin they cast off during growth
2. The discarded outer integument of snakes, typically smooth and often patterned, serving as protection and insulation
3. The molted protective layer of a snake that is left behind as it grows, commonly noted for its texture and appearance

Etymology: "Snakeskins" is simply the plural of "snakeskin," so its history is that of the two words it joins. "Snake" comes from Old English "snaca," and "skin" comes from Old Norse "skinn," which entered English during the Viking Age and gradually displaced the native word "hide" for the outer covering of animals. Put together, the compound describes exactly what it sounds like: the skin a snake sheds. The plural adds only the familiar English ending for counting more than one such covering, so each piece of the word carries its own older history while the whole stays transparent. Few compounds in English are as literal as this one, which is why its meaning has changed so little since it was first formed.