Skinning commonly refers to the act of skin removal, from the verb to skin.

• This is usually done with dead animals, mainly as preparation for consumption of the meat beneath and/or use as fur. The skin can also be used as a trophy or a simple proof of the kill to collect a premium form health, agricultural, or other authorities, in the case of a species that has been declared a pest.

• Skinning can also be performed on live humans as a form of corporal punishment, known as flaying. As the removal of all (or most) of a person's skin is terminal, as well as extremely painful, this is an effective method of capital punishment.
  • The word scalping refers specifically to the removal of the skin from the skull, usually performed on a dead victim.

• Skinning is a metaphor for the removal of all of much of the essence of something, leaving the object (which can even be abstract) in a much poorer state, for example under-funded after skinning its budget.

• In 3D computer graphics and animation, skinning can refer to the surface representation used to draw a character in skeletal animation.

• Skinning may also refer to the act of creating a "skin" (also called "themes") to change appearance of a computer program. Programs that support skins are considered "skinnable."
• ASkining is also a trade skill^* in the game World of Warcraft.

corporal punishments