Flesh vs. Skin: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on October 5, 2023
Flesh vs. Skin: Flesh is the soft substance of the body, including muscle and fat, beneath the skin, whereas skin is the outer covering of the body that protects the internal organs and tissues.
Key Differences
"Flesh" refers to the soft part of the body that is situated beneath the "Skin" and is composed of muscles, fats, and tissues. The term "Skin," however, denotes the outermost layer of the body, acting as a barrier, protecting the internal body parts, including the flesh, from external elements and pathogens.
Flesh is synonymous with the inner muscular structure and is crucial for movement and support, incorporating various elements like water, protein, and fats. Contrarily, skin, being the largest organ of the human body, serves multiple functions including protection, temperature regulation, and sensation.
The importance of flesh is noted in its ability to produce energy, support metabolism, and aid bodily movements. On the other side, skin's importance is manifest in its roles in immune defense, vitamin D synthesis, and acting as the primary interface with the external environment.
Flesh and skin, while being interdependent, have distinct compositions and functions. The flesh, primarily made of muscle tissue, is vital for physical activity, while the skin, a complex organ with several layers, is essential for maintaining homeostasis and shielding the body.
In essence, while flesh and skin are integral components of anatomical structure, flesh is the soft, internal substance primarily composed of muscle and fat, and skin is the protective, multifunctional outer covering of the body.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Soft substance of the body consisting of muscle and fat.
Outer covering of the body.
Location
Beneath the skin.
Outermost layer of the body.
Function
Provides support, aids movement, stores energy.
Protects, regulates temperature, senses environment.
Composition
Muscles, fats, and tissues.
Multiple layers including epidermis and dermis.
Role in Body
Vital for movement and metabolic support.
Essential for defense and interaction with environment
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Flesh and Skin Definitions
Flesh
The pulpy substance of a fruit or vegetable.
The apple’s flesh was crisp and juicy.
Skin
Outer covering of the body.
Her skin was smooth and flawless.
Flesh
The soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate, covering the bones and consisting mainly of skeletal muscle and fat
Thought the boy needed some more flesh on his bones.
Skin
Source of complex sensory interactions.
The cold wind made his skin tingle.
Flesh
Such tissue of an animal, used as food
Flesh of a cow.
Fish with white flesh.
Skin
The membranous tissue forming the external covering or integument of an animal and consisting in vertebrates of the epidermis and dermis.
Flesh
The surface or skin of the human body
Goosebumps on my flesh.
Skin
An animal pelt, especially the comparatively pliable pelt of a small or young animal
A tent made of goat skins.
Flesh
Fatty tissue
"a woman of wide and abundant flesh" (A.S. Byatt).
Skin
A usually thin, closely adhering outer layer
The skin of a peach.
A sausage skin.
The skin of an aircraft.
Flesh
(Botany) The pulpy, usually edible part of a fruit or vegetable.
Skin
A thin, close-fitting, usually elastic garment, especially a shirt, worn by scuba divers and others who engage in water sports for protection against scrapes and other superficial injuries.
Flesh
The human body
"the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to" (Shakespeare).
Skin
A container for liquids that is made of animal skin.
Flesh
Sensual appetites
Gratification of the flesh.
Skin
(Music) A drumhead.
Flesh
Substance; reality
"The maritime strategy has an all but unstoppable institutional momentum behind it ... that has given force and flesh to the theory" (Jack Beatty).
Skin
One of a pair of strips of fabric or other material temporarily applied to the undersides of a pair of skis to provide traction while ascending slopes.
Flesh
To give substance or detail to; fill out. Often used with out
Fleshed out the novel with a subplot.
Skin
(Computers) A design layout for the interface of a program such as a media player or instant messaging application that a user can select and often customize in order to alter the default appearance.
Flesh
To clean (a hide) of adhering flesh.
Skin
(Informal) One's life or physical survival
They lied to save their skins.
Flesh
To encourage (a falcon, for example) to participate in the chase by feeding it flesh from a kill.
Skin
To remove skin from
Skinned and gutted the rabbit.
Flesh
To plunge or thrust (a weapon) into flesh.
Skin
To bruise, cut, or injure the skin or surface of
She skinned her knee.
Flesh
(Archaic) To inure (troops, for instance) to battle or bloodshed.
Skin
To remove (an outer covering); peel off
Skin off the thin bark.
Flesh
To become plump or fleshy; gain weight.
Skin
To cover with a skin or a similar layer
Skin the framework of a canoe.
Flesh
The soft tissue of the body, especially muscle and fat.
Skin
(Slang) To fleece; swindle.
Flesh
The skin of a human or animal.
Skin
To become covered with skin or a similar layer
In January the pond skins over with ice.
Flesh
(by extension) Bare arms, bare legs, bare torso.
Skin
To pass with little room to spare
We barely skinned by.
Flesh
Animal tissue regarded as food; meat (but sometimes excluding fish).
Skin
Of, relating to, or depicting pornography
Skin magazines.
Flesh
The human body as a physical entity.
Skin
(uncountable) The outer protective layer of the body of any animal, including of a human.
He is so disgusting he makes my skin crawl.
Flesh
(religion) The mortal body of a human being, contrasted with the spirit or soul.
Skin
(uncountable) The outer protective layer of the fruit of a plant.
Flesh
(religion) The evil and corrupting principle working in man.
Skin
(countable) The skin and fur of an individual animal used by humans for clothing, upholstery, etc.
Flesh
The soft, often edible, parts of fruits or vegetables.
Skin
(countable) A congealed layer on the surface of a liquid.
In order to get to the rest of the paint in the can, you′ll have to remove the skin floating on top of it.
Flesh
(obsolete) Tenderness of feeling; gentleness.
Skin
A set of resources that modifies the appearance and/or layout of the graphical user interface of a computer program.
You can use this skin to change how the browser looks.
Flesh
(obsolete) Kindred; stock; race.
Skin
An alternate appearance (texture map or geometry) for a character model in a video game.
Flesh
A yellowish pink colour; the colour of some Caucasian human skin.
Skin
Rolling paper for cigarettes.
Pass me a skin, mate.
Flesh
(transitive) To reward (a hound, bird of prey etc.) with flesh of the animal killed, to excite it for further hunting; to train (an animal) to have an appetite for flesh.
Skin
Clipping of skinhead
Flesh
(transitive) To bury (something, especially a weapon) in flesh.
Skin
(Australia) A subgroup of Australian aboriginal people; such divisions are cultural and not related to an individual′s physical skin.
Flesh
(obsolete) To inure or habituate someone in or to a given practice.
Skin
(slang) Bare flesh, particularly bare breasts.
Let me see a bit of skin.
Flesh
(transitive) To glut.
Skin
A vessel made of skin, used for holding liquids.
Flesh
(transitive) To put flesh on; to fatten.
Skin
(nautical) That part of a sail, when furled, which remains on the outside and covers the whole.
Flesh
To remove the flesh from the skin during the making of leather.
Skin
(nautical) The covering, as of planking or iron plates, outside the framing, forming the sides and bottom of a vessel; the shell; also, a lining inside the framing.
Flesh
The aggregate of the muscles, fat, and other tissues which cover the framework of bones in man and other animals; especially, the muscles.
Skin
(aviation) The outer surface covering much of the wings and fuselage of an aircraft.
Flesh
Animal food, in distinction from vegetable; meat; especially, the body of beasts and birds used as food, as distinguished from fish.
With roasted flesh, or milk, and wastel bread.
Skin
A drink of whisky served hot.
Flesh
The human body, as distinguished from the soul; the corporeal person.
As if this flesh, which walls about our life,Were brass impregnable.
Skin
A purse.
Flesh
The human eace; mankind; humanity.
All flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Skin
(transitive) To injure the skin of.
He fell off his bike and skinned his knee on the concrete.
Flesh
Human nature
There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart.
Skin
(transitive) To remove the skin and/or fur of an animal or a human.
Flesh
In a bad sense, tendency to transient or physical pleasure; desire for sensual gratification; carnality.
Skin
(colloquial) To high five.
Flesh
Kindred; stock; race.
He is our brother and our flesh.
Skin
To apply a skin to (a computer program).
Can I skin the application to put the picture of my cat on it?
Flesh
The soft, pulpy substance of fruit; also, that part of a root, fruit, and the like, which is fit to be eaten.
Skin
To use tricks to go past a defender.
Flesh
To feed with flesh, as an incitement to further exertion; to initiate; - from the practice of training hawks and dogs by feeding them with the first game they take, or other flesh. Hence, to use upon flesh (as a murderous weapon) so as to draw blood, especially for the first time.
Full bravely hast thou fleshedThy maiden sword.
The wild dogShall flesh his tooth on every innocent.
Skin
(intransitive) To become covered with skin.
A wound eventually skins over.
Flesh
To glut; to satiate; hence, to harden, to accustom.
Old soldiersFleshed in the spoils of Germany and France.
Skin
(transitive) To cover with skin, or as if with skin; hence, to cover superficially.
Flesh
To remove flesh, membrance, etc., from, as from hides.
Skin
To produce, in recitation, examination, etc., the work of another for one's own, or to use cribs, memoranda, etc., which are prohibited.
Flesh
The soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat
Skin
To strip of money or property; to cheat.
Flesh
Alternative names for the body of a human being;
Leonardo studied the human body
He has a strong physique
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
Skin
The external membranous integument of an animal.
Flesh
A soft moist part of a fruit
Skin
The hide of an animal, separated from the body, whether green, dry, or tanned; especially, that of a small animal, as a calf, sheep, or goat.
Flesh
Soft substance of the body consisting of muscles and fat.
The flesh beneath his skin was bruised and swollen.
Skin
A vessel made of skin, used for holding liquids. See Bottle, 1.
Flesh
Edible muscular part of an animal.
The flesh of the fruit was sweet and succulent.
Skin
The bark or husk of a plant or fruit; the exterior coat of fruits and plants.
Flesh
Sensitive tissue, susceptible to pain or pleasure.
A splinter embedded itself in her flesh.
Skin
That part of a sail, when furled, which remains on the outside and covers the whole.
Flesh
The physical nature of human beings.
Mortification of the flesh is a spiritual discipline.
Skin
To strip off the skin or hide of; to flay; to peel; as, to skin an animal.
Skin
To cover with skin, or as with skin; hence, to cover superficially.
It will but skin and film the ulcerous place.
Skin
To strip of money or property; to cheat.
Skin
To become covered with skin; as, a wound skins over.
Skin
To produce, in recitation, examination, etc., the work of another for one's own, or to use in such exercise cribs, memeoranda, etc., which are prohibited.
Skin
A natural protective covering of the body; site of the sense of touch;
Your skin is the largest organ of your body
Skin
The tissue forming the hard outer layer (of e.g. a fruit)
Skin
An outer surface (usually thin);
The skin of an airplane
Skin
Body covering of a living animal
Skin
A person's skin regarded as their life;
He tried to save his skin
Skin
The rind of a fruit or vegetable
Skin
A bag serving as a container for liquids; it is made from the skin of an animal
Skin
Climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
Skin
Bruise, cut, or injure the skin or the surface of;
The boy skinned his knee when he fell
Skin
Remove the bark of a tree
Skin
Strip the skin off;
Pare apples
Skin
Strike against an object;
She stubbed her one's toe in the dark and now it's broken
Skin
Protective barrier against the environment.
The skin shields the body from harmful bacteria.
Skin
Layer shedding or peeling off.
The snake shed its skin.
Skin
Covering or coating of certain objects.
The drum's skin was taut and unbroken.
FAQs
Can the skin sense the environment?
Yes, the skin can sense the environment through a variety of receptors for temperature, pressure, and pain.
Does flesh play a role in movement?
Absolutely, the flesh, especially the muscles, is crucial for enabling body movement.
What does flesh generally refer to in humans?
Flesh generally refers to the soft substance of the human body, consisting of muscle and fat, located beneath the skin.
Is flesh primarily composed of muscles?
Yes, flesh is primarily composed of muscles, but it also includes fats and other tissues.
Can flesh store energy?
Yes, the fats in the flesh serve as a significant store of energy.
Is flesh sensitive to pain and pleasure?
Yes, flesh is sensitive to both pain and pleasure due to the presence of nerve endings.
Is the skin the largest organ of the human body?
Yes, the skin is the largest organ of the human body.
Is the term flesh used to describe the edible part of fruits?
Yes, the term flesh can also refer to the edible, pulpy part of fruits and vegetables.
Does the skin protect against pathogens?
Absolutely, the skin acts as a barrier, protecting the body from pathogens and external aggressors.
Can flesh include fatty tissue?
Yes, flesh includes both muscular and fatty tissues.
What is the primary function of the skin?
The skin primarily acts as a protective covering for the body and helps in temperature regulation and sensation.
Does flesh refer to the physical nature of humans?
Yes, flesh often symbolically represents the physical or carnal aspect of human existence.
Does the skin have multiple layers?
Yes, the skin has multiple layers, primarily the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous layer.
Can the skin synthesize vitamins?
Yes, the skin can synthesize vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
Is the skin involved in immune responses?
Yes, the skin plays an integral role in immune responses, preventing the entry of harmful agents.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
