Also means
to fleece
Usage Note
Spellare takes avere and means literally to remove the skin from an animal or to graze skin off a person. Colloquially, spellare vivo qualcuno (to skin someone alive) means to rip someone off financially. The reflexive spellarsi means to peel (as sunburnt skin does).
Examples
"Mi sono spellato le mani per il freddo."
Natural Translation
My hands peeled from the cold.
Literal Translation
I-peeled the hands from the cold

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