Scamp

//skæmp// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A rascal, swindler, or rogue; a ne'er-do-well.

    ""He is a scamp, he is and it isn't difficult to find his tracks and signs of his reckless shooting, for he can never wait, like other folks, till the birds have had a good start at their play.""

  2. 2
    A preliminary design sketch.

    "It did not matter that the scamp (simple illustrative line-drawing) it contained could have been done in the pub the night before."

  3. 3
    one who is playfully mischievous wordnet
  4. 4
    A mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster.

    "My nephew is a little scamp who likes to leave lighted firecrackers under the lawnchairs of his dozing elders."

Verb
  1. 1
    To skimp; to do something in a skimpy or slipshod fashion. dated

    "1884, Samuel Smiles, Men of Invention and Industry His work was always first-rate. There was no scamping about it. Everything that he did was thoroughly good and honest."

  2. 2
    perform hastily and carelessly wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch schampen (“slip away”), from Old French escamper (“to run away, to make one's escape”), from Vulgar Latin *excampāre. Compare escape.

Etymology 2

Perhaps related to sense 1, but influenced by the later attested skimp; however, compare Icelandic skamta (“to dole out, to stint”), which is related to skammur (“short”).

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