peely

Adjective

peely (comparative more peely, superlative most peely)

1. Tending to peel.
   • Rough, “peely” arms, shoulders, legs—See Angel Skin soothe, soften, cool sensitive wind-and-sun irritated skin. Rough flakiness dissolves off.1954 June, “Angel Skin by Pond’s”, in Ladies’ Home Journal, Philadelphia, Pa.: The Curtis Publishing Company, page 106, column 1
   • It is paper-thin and when old, peels away to reveal the richer-coloured young bark beneath. It is particularly peely on the branches especially at their junctions with the main stem where it often collects in dense, loose bunches.1987, Roy Lancaster, Garden Plants for Connoisseurs, Unwin Hyman, →ISBN, page 10
2. Resembling or characteristic of a peel.
   • Nut-cracking goes on in a perfect fusillade, and oranges are peeled to an extent that sends a Covent Garden Market fragrance through the house, swifter than fall the peely flakes from the gallery above.1876 January 1, “Transpontine Drama”, in Once a Week, fourth series, volume III, London: […] [T]he Offices, […], page 215, column 1
   • The fundamental impression to be gained from tasting comminuted products is that they taste “peely” and have an aroma that is associated more with the peel than the juice.1963, Food Technology, volume 17, page 993, column 2
3. (rare) Intended to be peeled.
   • Oranges’ skins are more peely than pare-y.1970, Doreen Lackenbauer, Mary Ellen Adair, Noreen Hishon, Small Blue Bead, Ginn, page 41
   • An article in the New York Times dated 19 July 2005 announces that laser-coded “Tattooed Fruit Is on the Way,” and that it will bring “an end to those tiny stubborn stickers that have to be picked, scraped, or yanked off.” Hmm. Were those “stubborn stickers” really so annoying? Well, the peely...1987, The Age of Johnson, number 18, AMS Press, page 426
4. (rare) Having a peel.
   • Primates process protected fruits by holding them in the hand(s) and removing the peel with the incisors. The ability of primates to consume unprotected fruits is restricted by competition from birds whereas texture prevents birds from consuming peely fruits.1991, P. W. Lucas, R. T. Corlett, “Quantitative aspects of the relationship between dentitions and diets”, in Julian F. V. Vincent, P. J. Lillford, editors, Feeding and the Texture of Food...
   • They may possess a thin skin, which separates with difficulty from the flesh, or a thick layer that peels easily from the flesh and is, therefore, best called a peel. Only fleshy fruits are intended for consumption by vertebrates. In the South American rain-forest, Janson (1983) found that skinned...1994, P. W. Lucas, “Categorisation of food items relevant to oral processing”, in D. J. Chivers, P. Langer, editors, The Digestive System in Mammals: Food, Form and Function, Cambridge, Cambs...

   Synonyms:

   peeled