What does "skulk" mean?
A group of foxes.
Skulk
/skʌlk/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A group of foxes.
- Grammar: skulk is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: lurk, army, bunch, clock watcher.
- Useful contrasts: appear openly, emerge openly, expose.
- Usage evidence: A group of foxes is called a skulk.
How to use "skulk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "skulk" 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 "skulk" 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 "skulk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "skulk" 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 "skulk" is acting as noun, verb 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 "lurk" 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 "skulk", 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 A group of foxes. collective
"A skulk of foxes, a cowardice of curs are tonight’s traffic whispering in the yards and lanes."
- 2 A group of people seen as being fox-like (e.g. cunning, dishonest, or having nefarious plans). figuratively
"[…] a skulk of priests flapped out of the Church of San Geronimo, and women kneeling at novena put away their beads […]"
- 3 The act of skulking.; The act of moving in a stealthy or furtive way.
"A part of their company, who had been sent out on a skulk, had not returned, and great anxiety was felt lest they had fallen into an ambush and been captured."
- 4 The act of skulking.; A stealthy or furtive gait or way of moving.
"His gait was something between a slouch and a skulk."
- 5 The act of skulking.; The act of avoiding an obligation or responsibility.
"[They took] good care […] to swing their hammocks as far abaft as possible, for the twofold purpose of having a skulk in their watch below at night, and to keep clear of the sprays, which usually pour down the gratings […]"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 One who avoids an obligation or responsibility. obsolete
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Verb
- 1 To stay where one cannot be seen, conceal oneself (often in a cowardly way or with the intent of doing harm).
"Is whispering nothing? Is leaning cheek to cheek? is meeting noses? Kissing with inside lip? stopping the career Of laughing with a sigh?—a note infallible Of breaking honesty—horsing foot on foot? Skulking in corners? wishing clocks more swift?"
- 2 move furtively wordnet
- 3 To move in a stealthy or furtive way; to come or go while trying to avoid detection.
"The residue like vnto the bare arssed rebels sculked to and fro; but in the end, they and the others were all dispersed, & durst not to appeare."
- 4 avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill wordnet
- 5 To avoid an obligation or responsibility.
"Let discipline employ her wholesome arts, Let magistrates alert perform their parts, Not skulk or put on a prudential mask, As if their duty were a desp’rate task;"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"A group of foxes is called a skulk."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "skulk"?
Common synonyms include: lurk, army, bunch, clock watcher, colony, conceal oneself.
How do you use "skulk" in a sentence?
A group of foxes is called a skulk.
How do you pronounce "skulk"?
Pronounced /skʌlk/.
Etymology
From Middle English sculke, skulke, skulken, of North Germanic origin; compare Danish skulke (“shirk”), Swedish skolka (“play truant”).