means The sport or activity of gliding over snow on a pair of long, narrow runners strapped to the feet, usually downhill.

from From Norwegian ski, which comes from Old Norse skíð meaning a split piece of wood, a stick or snowshoe — the same root that gives English 'shide' (a thin board) and is related to 'skid.' Norway gave the modern sport its name in the 19th century, which is why English keeps the Scandinavian spelling and, properly, the Norwegian-flavored 'shee' pronunciation lurking behind our flattened 'skee.'