See by the skin of one's teeth on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_text": "* From Job 19.20. \"My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.\"",
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"examples": [
{
"text": "I passed the test by the skin of my teeth.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 57:",
"text": "I would have liked to have hung around in Birmingham, but my connections are tight owing to a points failure, and I make the CrossCountry Class 170 to Derby by the skin of my teeth.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Barely; closely; by a narrow margin; with nothing to spare."
],
"id": "en-by_the_skin_of_one's_teeth-en-prep_phrase-zDV3zyGR",
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"Barely",
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"closely"
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"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) Barely; closely; by a narrow margin; with nothing to spare."
],
"related": [
{
"word": "close shave"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "by a hair's breadth"
}
],
"tags": [
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],
"translations": [
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "pels pèls"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "på et hængende hår"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "nipin napin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "hiuksenhienosti"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "niukin naukin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "hädin tuskin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "juuri ja juuri"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"Canada"
],
"word": "par la peau des dents"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"colloquial"
],
"word": "d’un poil"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "par le chas de l’aiguille"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "de justesse"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"rare"
],
"word": "à fleur de corde"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "mit knapper Not"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "mit Mühe und Not"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "um Haaresbreite"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"informal"
],
"word": "mit Ach und Krach"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"informal"
],
"word": "mit Hängen und Würgen"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "pará trícha",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "παρά τρίχα"
},
{
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "idir cleith agus ursain"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "per un pelo"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "per il rotto della cuffia"
},
{
"code": "lv",
"lang": "Latvian",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "par mata tiesu"
},
{
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "på hengende håret"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "por um fio"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "por um triz"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jéle",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "е́ле"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jéle-jéle",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "е́ле-е́ле"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jedvá",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "едва́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jedvá-jedvá",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "едва́-едва́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "nasílu",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "наси́лу"
},
{
"code": "sco",
"lang": "Scots",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "by a bawhair"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "air èiginn"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "con las justas"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"colloquial"
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"word": "dejando pelos en la gatera"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"colloquial",
"dated"
],
"word": "por el canto de un duro"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "por un pelo"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "på håret"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "med blotta förskräckelsen"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "เส้นยาแดงผ่าแปด"
}
]
}
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{
"etymology_text": "* From Job 19.20. \"My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.\"",
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"type": "example"
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"ref": "2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 57:",
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"type": "quote"
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{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "pels pèls"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "på et hængende hår"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "nipin napin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "hiuksenhienosti"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "niukin naukin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "hädin tuskin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "juuri ja juuri"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"Canada"
],
"word": "par la peau des dents"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"colloquial"
],
"word": "d’un poil"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "par le chas de l’aiguille"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "de justesse"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"rare"
],
"word": "à fleur de corde"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "mit knapper Not"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "mit Mühe und Not"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "um Haaresbreite"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"informal"
],
"word": "mit Ach und Krach"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"informal"
],
"word": "mit Hängen und Würgen"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "pará trícha",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "παρά τρίχα"
},
{
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "idir cleith agus ursain"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "per un pelo"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "per il rotto della cuffia"
},
{
"code": "lv",
"lang": "Latvian",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "par mata tiesu"
},
{
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "på hengende håret"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "por um fio"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "por um triz"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jéle",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "е́ле"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jéle-jéle",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "е́ле-е́ле"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jedvá",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "едва́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jedvá-jedvá",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "едва́-едва́"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "nasílu",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "наси́лу"
},
{
"code": "sco",
"lang": "Scots",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "by a bawhair"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "air èiginn"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "con las justas"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"colloquial"
],
"word": "dejando pelos en la gatera"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"tags": [
"colloquial",
"dated"
],
"word": "por el canto de un duro"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "por un pelo"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "på håret"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "med blotta förskräckelsen"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"sense": "barely, closely",
"word": "เส้นยาแดงผ่าแปด"
}
],
"word": "by the skin of one's teeth"
}
Download raw JSONL data for by the skin of one's teeth meaning in All languages combined (6.4kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-21 using wiktextract (ce0be54 and f2e72e5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.