noun
Meaning 1
A quick, light run.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
scamper
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Australian, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈskæmpə/
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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General-American: /ˈskæmpɚ/ without æ-raising
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/ˈskeə̯mpɚ/ æ-raising
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/ˈskɛə̯mpɚ/ æ-raising
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Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -æmpə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: S K AE1 M P ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
One who skimps or does slipshod work.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: skimper
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful or undignified manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
- The dog scampered after the squirrel.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scurry, ambulate, pedestrianize, raik
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
rushing about hastily in an undignified way
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scramble, scurry
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: haste, hurry, rush, rushing
verb
Meaning 5
to move about or proceed hurriedly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- so terrified by the extraordinary ebbing of the sea that they scurried to higher ground
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scurry, skitter, scuttle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: run
Narrower terms: crab
History
Etymology
First attested in 1687. Origin uncertain, but possibly from Dutch schamperen, from Old French escamper, from Vulgar Latin *excampāre.
From scamp + -er.
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Central Bikol: rabas — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Bulgarian: лудувам (luduvam) — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Bulgarian: тичам (tičam) — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Chinese Mandarin: 跑來跑去 /跑来跑去 (pǎoláipǎoqù) — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Czech: běžet — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Czech: cupitat — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Czech: pelášit — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Czech: poskakovat — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Dutch: 'm smeren — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Esperanto: petoli — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- French: gambader — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Galician: acarreirar — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Galician: buligar — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Irish: scinn — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Irish: sciurd — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Korean: 빨리 달리다 (ppalli dallida) — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Macedonian: се стр́ча (se stŕča) — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Macedonian: се вту́рна (se vtúrna) — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Māori: karapetapeta — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Polish: pędzić — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Russian: бе́гать (bégatʹ) — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Russian: носиться (nositʹsja) — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Spanish: apresurar — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner
- Spanish: corretear — to run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner