SK8

What Does SK8 Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

SK8 means "Skate," but more specifically the sport of skateboarding.

More Detail...

Although used by the skating community initially, the term SK8 became more main stream when singer Avril Lavigne released a single from her 2002 album "Let Go" entitled "Sk8er Boi," which spoke of a romance between a girl and a boy who skateboarded. Of note, the number 8 is used in numerous other terms that use the "eight" sound (e.g., GR8 (Great), M8 (Mate), L8 (Late)). On the dating section of Craigslist (American classified advertising website), SK8 is used to describe someone as "drug and disease free" and carries a connotation of generosity and kindness. It is unknown where this meaning derives.

Image for SK8

When I write SK8, I mean this:

Sk8 means skate.

Summary of Key Points

"Skate" is, by far, the most common meaning for SK8 when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

SK8
Definition:	Skate
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of SK8 in Sentences

Here are examples of SK8 in conversations:

• Tom: Do you want to SK8 after school?
• Peter: Yes, dude.

• Sam: There's a new SK8 club opening.
• Natalie: Let's go.

An Academic Look at SK8

SK8 is defined as an "internet slang term" by our team because some of its characters are used as substitutes for letters. Most "slang terms" were introduced to reduce the number of key strokes required to write the word, but since the arrival of predictive texting and keyboards on mobile devices, this efficiency is no longer required. Nevertheless, "slang terms" are still regularly used to make messages more entertaining or to express individuality. "Slang terms" differ from icons because they are not pictorial representations. SK8 is used as a verb (a doing word) and an adjective (a describing word). For example:

• Let's SK8.
(Here, SK8 is being used as a verb.)
• It's SK8 time.
(Here, SK8 is an adjective.)

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we would have just said "skate" instead of SK8.

Example of SK8 Used in a Text

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