Peelings are the pieces of skin you have taken off fruit or vegetables. Potato peelings are the picture most people have: the thin brown strips in the sink or the bin. The word is almost always plural; we rarely say a peeling. It is a homely kitchen word, a little old-fashioned in some places — many people now just say peel or potato skins. Some people save peelings for compost; others throw them away. Though actually, peel can also mean the skin still on the fruit, or one long piece; peelings points more to the mess of bits after you have finished.