What does "scud" mean?
The act of scudding.
Scud
/skʌd/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of scudding.
- Grammar: scud is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: alto-cumulus, alto-stratus, anvil cloud, ballistic missile.
- Useful contrasts: calm weather, clear sky, crawl.
- Usage evidence: When scudding on from snare to snare I plied My anxious visitation, hurrying on, Still hurrying hurrying onward ...
How to use "scud"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "scud" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "scud" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "scud" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "scud" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "scud" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alto-cumulus" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "scud", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of scudding. countable, uncountable
- 2 the act of moving along swiftly (as before a gale) wordnet
- 3 Clouds or rain(s) (or snow, etc) driven by the wind. countable, uncountable
"But high above the flying scud and dark-rolling clouds, there floated a little isle of sunlight, from which beamed forth an angel's face […]"
- 4 A loose formation of small ragged cloud fragments (or fog) not attached to a larger higher cloud layer. uncountable
"Small, ragged, low cloud fragments that are unattached to a larger cloud base and often seen with and behind cold fronts and thunderstorm gust fronts. Such clouds generally are associated with cool moist air, such as thunderstorm outflow."
- 5 A gust of wind. countable, uncountable
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A scab on a wound. countable, uncountable
- 7 A small flight of larks, or other birds, less than a flock. countable, uncountable
- 8 Any swimming amphipod, usually Gammarus countable, uncountable
- 9 A swift runner. countable, uncountable
- 10 A form of garden hoe. countable, uncountable
- 11 A slap; a sharp stroke. countable, uncountable
- 12 Pornography. Scotland, slang, uncountable
- 13 The drink Irn-Bru. Scotland, slang, uncountable
"a bottle of scud"
Verb
- 1 To race along swiftly (especially used of clouds). intransitive
"clouds scudding across the sky"
- 2 run before a gale wordnet
- 3 To run, or be driven, before a high wind with few or no sails set. ambitransitive
"If the Main Topsail should by any accident be split, it will be still necessary to have a lofty Sail set in such a Sea, and the close reefed Topsail singly will be the best to scud under."
- 4 run or move very quickly or hastily wordnet
- 5 To hit or slap. Northumbria
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To speed. Northumbria
- 7 To skim flat stones so they skip along the water. Northumbria
- 8 To scrape (skins) to remove hair etc. as part of the tanning process.
Adjective
- 1 Naked. Scotland, slang
Proper Noun
- 1 A Soviet-developed tactical ballistic missile.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"When scudding on from snare to snare I plied My anxious visitation, hurrying on, Still hurrying hurrying onward ..."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "scud"?
Common synonyms include: alto-cumulus, alto-stratus, anvil cloud, ballistic missile, banner cloud, billowy cloud.
How do you use "scud" in a sentence?
When scudding on from snare to snare I plied My anxious visitation, hurrying on, Still hurrying hurrying onward ...
How do you pronounce "scud"?
Pronounced /skʌd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English scud (“incrustation, scurf, scab, peel, shedding”), perhaps from Old Norse skjóta (“to shoot, push, throw off, shed”) (see also scoot).
Etymology 2
The term comes from the NATO reporting name SS-1 Scud which was attached to the missile by Western intelligence agencies.