Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A rogue; a rascal.
- noun A mischievous youngster.
- transitive verb To perform or make in a careless or inadequate way.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To execute in superficial manner; perform in a careless, slip-shod, dishonest, or perfunctory manner: as, to
scamp work. - noun A fugitive or vagabond; a worthless fellow; a swindler; a mean villain; a rascal; a rogue.
- noun A serranoid fish, Trisotropis falcatus, of a brown color with irregular darker spots, and with the pectorals edged with blackish and orange.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A rascal; a swindler; a rogue.
- transitive verb colloq. To perform in a hasty, neglectful, or imperfect manner; to do superficially.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
rascal ,swindler , orrogue ; ane'er-do-well . - noun A
mischievous person, especially aplayful , impishyoungster . - verb dated To
skimp ; to do something in askimpy orslipshod fashion.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb perform hastily and carelessly
- noun one who is playfully mischievous
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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Updates, 1/24: James Wolcott: Every year or so critics, audiences, and Academy voters decide to adopt a puppy, and this year the adorable scamp is Little Miss Sunshine, ludicrously nominated for Best Picture.
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"Be careful whom you call a scamp!" said Fred, while Rexford again edged off.
Under Fire A Tale of New England Village Life Frank Andrew Munsey 1889
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My poor sister had long been disillusioned before death released her from the titled scamp she had married, and she very wisely placed the emeralds in my custody to be held in trust for her daughter.
The Triumphs of Eugène Valmont Robert Barr 1881
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The orchestra, loud in wishing to know "who's dat knocking at de door?" and Master Tom, deep in the bill, with Mr. Rat, who is there described as a "scamp" -- an unknown term to Tom, for he asked its meaning; observing that Uncle Brick said Captain de Camp was a scamp.
Christmas Comes but Once A Year Showing What Mr. Brown Did, Thought, and Intended to Do, during that Festive Season. John Leighton 1867
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Newton, that pesky little scamp, is still showing that entropy creeps into every system but we’re trying out best to keep it at bay.
365 tomorrows » 2010 » May : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2010
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Newton, that pesky little scamp, is still showing that entropy creeps into every system but we’re trying out best to keep it at bay.
365 tomorrows » Duncan Shields : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2010
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I mean, what Barbara Bush said about junior being a “little scamp” really hasn’t changed much except that the little scamp is really a “little skunk” instead.
Think Progress » Washington Post on access to prewar intel: 2005
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A scamp is a person with a devil may care quality, a charming rogue who exudes positive, charged energy.
Seth Greenland: Scamps vs. Dorks: Why Do We Want to Have a Beer with the President? 2008
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Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow, and that it is to her best interest to place all men upon the same footing before the law; mete out the same punishment to the white scamp that is inexorably meted out to the black scamp, for a scamp is a scamp any way you twist it; a social pest that should be put where he will be unable to harm any one.
Black and White T. Thomas Fortune 2007
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Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow, and that it is to her best interest to place all men upon the same footing before the law; mete out the same punishment to the white scamp that is inexorably meted out to the black scamp, for a scamp is a scamp any way you twist it; a social pest that should be put where he will be unable to harm any one.
Black and White T. Thomas Fortune 2007
yarb commented on the word scamp
"Every night ever since I can remember I've seen mother kneeling by her bed to say her prayers, no matter how cold it was, though she never would buy herself good woollens, and never scamping them to less than five minutes. And what has she got for it? What has she got for it?"
- Rebecca West, The Judge
July 29, 2009