skip
noun
Skip — the casual act of passing over something that should be addressed
Definition
A mistake resulting from neglect
In depth
A skip, in this sense, names a mistake resulting from neglect, the casual passing-over of a step, item, or obligation that should have been completed or addressed. The word carries a lighter, more informal tone than 'omission,' often suggesting a deliberate, if minor, shortcut rather than a serious or consequential failure.
Origin
The word descends from Middle English skippen, to leap or jump lightly, related to Old Norse skopa, to run or skip. That underlying image of a light, quick leap, hopping over an obstacle rather than confronting it directly, gives the word its characteristic sense of a minor, almost casual neglect rather than a deliberate, weighty omission.
Usage examples
"The recipe warned against any skip in the chilling step, however tempting it might be to rush ahead."
"His casual skip of the safety briefing nearly led to a serious accident on the construction site."
"She regretted the skip in her usual routine the moment everything afterward began to unravel."
How to use it
Skip in this sense of neglected step is informal, conversational vocabulary, well suited to casual writing about routines, processes, or instructions, distinctly more lighthearted in tone than the more formal 'omission.'
Related concepts
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