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Skell

noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
a homeless person, especially one who sleeps in the New York subway. New-York, US, slang
"Did you see those two skells lying in the doorway?"
2
A male suspicious person or crime suspect, especially a street person such as a drug dealer, pimp or panhandler. New-York, US, jargon, slang

Verb

1
To fall off or fall over. intransitive, slang
"She went skelling over on the ice."

Etymology

* Perhaps from skeleton, describing the often skeletal appearance of drug users. * Alternatively, from skellum or skelder ("to beg in the streets"). Used by Ben Jonson, 1599. * In the sense of a suspicious person, popularized by the American TV police drama NYPD Blue.

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