1. To move or travel from place to place on roller skates, ice skates, inline skates, or a skateboard, especially in an aimless or meandering manner. Tom and Jeff are skating around in the cul-de-sac. Why don't you head out there and join them? My mom still had some things to do in work before she was ready to drive us home, so I just skated around in front of her office building until she was done.

2. To avoid (someone or something) while moving on roller skates, ice skates, or a skateboard. Everyone just skated around the man who had fallen in the middle of the ice rink. I nearly fell off my board when I had to skate around the car that pulled out in front of me on the road.

3. To move or travel in one or more circles around (someone or something); to encircle (someone or something). I know it's your first time on the ice, so we're just going to skate around the edge of the rink for the time being. The group of bullies skated around me in a really intimidating way.

4. To avoid or evade (some issue or topic), as by circumlocution. Possibly a corruption of "skirt around (someone or something)." He always skates around the issue whenever I bring up pay raises for the people on my team. When asked about his role in the scandal, the CEO skated around the issue with a longwinded non sequitur about his loyalty to his company and its customers.