scull
scull Lexical Profile
scull Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Each of a pair of small, light oars operated by a single rower, or a single oar worked from side to side over the stern of a boat to propel it forward.
"The rower gripped a scull in each hand and pulled smoothly against the current."
A light, narrow racing boat propelled by one or more rowers, each using a pair of short oars.
"At dawn, the university crew carried their racing scull down to the boathouse dock."
• verb
To propel a light boat using a pair of short oars held by a single rower, or by working a single oar from side to side over the stern.
"She learned to scull along the calm river every morning before classes."
To move the hands and forearms in a figure-eight motion through the water to maintain buoyancy or propel the body (especially in synchronized swimming or treading water).
"The instructor taught the swimmers how to scull with their hands to stay afloat effortlessly."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'scull' (a short oar or light racing boat, or to propel a boat with oars) with its homophone 'skull' (the bony framework of the head).
• Rhymes for scull
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in Middle English in the 14th century as 'sculle', the exact ultimate origin of the word remains uncertain, though it may be borrowed from a Scandinavian or Low German nautical term.