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Definition of scamp

scamp

/ˈskæmp/
scamp

Adverb:scampishly
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Plural:scamps
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Adjective:scampish
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Past Simple:scamped
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Past Participle:scamped
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Present Participle:scamping
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scamp Lexical Profile

scamp Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A person, especially a child, who is mischievous in a playful, likeable, or harmless way.

Example

"The little scamp hid his sister's shoes right before they had to leave for school."


2

American A brownish-gray marine grouper of the family Epinephelidae, native to the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico and prized as a food fish.

Example

"The anglers caught a large scamp near the deep-water reef off the coast of Florida."

Synonyms
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• verb

1

To perform or execute a task, job, or piece of work in a hasty, negligent, or superficial manner.

Example

"If you scamp the preparation work, the fresh paint will start peeling within a year."

Synonyms
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• Rhymes for scamp

Word Origin & Etymology

Entered English in the 18th century as cant for a highwayman, shortened from the obsolete verb 'scamper' (to rob on the highway), which ultimately derives from Middle Dutch 'schampen' meaning 'to slip away'.

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Scamp. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/scamp
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