Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US Und.) the theft of cargo from ships by harbour thieves.

1871

Galaxy (NY) Mar. 406: In all these cases the prisoners had stolen, as usual, in bulk, transferring to bags of their own—a process technically called ‘skinning’; and as they thus left behind trade-marks which could be sworn to, the owners were unable to identify except in the three cases where consciences were stretched to the point of making oath to the property itself.