means Long, narrow runners strapped to the feet for gliding over snow, used in winter sports and travel.

from From Norwegian 'ski,' which traces back to the Old Norse 'skíð' meaning a split piece of wood, a stick, or a snowshoe — the same root that gives us 'shide,' an old word for a plank or shingle. The Scandinavians, who needed to cross deep snow long before they needed a sport, kept the original sense: skis really are just clever planks of wood. The 'sk' is pronounced 'sh' in Norwegian, which is why some old-fashioned speakers say 'shees,' though English has mostly settled on the harder 'skees.'