peel

Peel is a term with several related meanings in English. As a noun, it most commonly denotes the outer skin or rind of fruit and vegetables, such as a banana peel or an orange peel. The peel can be removed by peeling, a process often done in cooking and food preparation. The term is also used for the zest or outer aromatic layer of citrus fruits. The word derives from Old English and Old French forms meaning skin or hide.

As a verb, peel means to remove the outer covering from fruit, vegetables, or other materials. In culinary contexts, peeling is a common prep step; in baking, a pizza peel is a flat paddle used to slide loaves or pizzas to and from an oven.

Geographically, Peel refers to places including Peel, Isle of Man, a historic coastal town with Peel Castle and a traditional fishing port; Peel Region, a regional municipality in Ontario, Canada, comprising Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon.

People with the surname Peel include Sir Robert Peel (1788–1850), British statesman who founded the modern police force, giving rise to the nicknames "Peelers" or "bobbies" for police officers; he led the passing of the Metropolitan Police Act in 1829.

Other uses include the pizza peel, a tool used to transfer pizzas to and from ovens, and the general verb form of peeling, applicable to a wide range of contexts beyond food.