What Does This Mean?
A loanword for closeness and bonding through physical touch, such as hugs and hand-holding, between family members, friends or partners. Its original sense is non-sexual, and in fandom it names affectionate touch between characters.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
""Fans loved the idol pair's easy skinship, from linked arms to head pats.""
LORE & ORIGIN
Wiktionary describes it as chiefly used in Japan and South Korea, from the Japanese sukinshippu (a pseudo-English term built from "skin" and "-ship"), and says the Japanese form appeared in Latin script as early as 1955 and the OED first records the English word in 1966. Wikipedia's article on the related Japanese idea of bathing together describes such bonding as platonic rather than sexual.
MENTIONS OVER TIME
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