Where does “skinfold” come from?

skinfold (English) comes from English fold, from Middle English fold, from Old English fald, from Proto-Germanic faludaz — an enclosed space, enclosure.

skinfold (English): A double layer of skin and the underlying adipose...

Definitions

  1. A double layer of skin and the underlying adipose...

Ancestry of “skinfold”, step by step

skinfold traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English fold

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfoldTo bend over so that it comes in contact with...
2Middle EnglishfoldA pen, enclosure, or shelter for domesticated animals
3Old Englishfald—
4Proto-Germanicfaludazan enclosed space, enclosure

via English Skin

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSkinThe outer protective layer of the body of any animal, including of a human
2Middle EnglishskynThe skin; A layer or cover located in the inside...
Every word from Proto-Germanic faludaz →Every word from Old English fald →Every word from Middle English fold →
skinfold — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer