Standard Lemma guide
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
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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
A person who is associated with petty criminality and who is seen as strongly identified with brand names in music, clothing, sport, vehicles, and so forth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory
Qualifier: Dublin
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
According to A Dictionary of Hiberno-English: : "Much of the influence comes from London where the origins of the word 'skanger' can be found. I'm pretty certain this is a collapsed form of the word "scavenger" from a West Indian word used by the Caribbean community in London." Dolan's dictionary gives the West Indian slang word "skanker", meaning an untrustworthy or unreliable person, as a possible source of the word. Originally, in 1980s Dublin, it referred only to women but has become broadened to men in recent years.
