skunk
skunk Lexical Profile
skunk Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A small to medium-sized North and South American mammal of the family Mephitidae, known for its distinctive black and white fur and its ability to spray a highly pungent, foul-smelling liquid as a defense mechanism.
"We had to close all the windows because a skunk sprayed near the porch last night."
A contemptible, untrustworthy, or malicious person.
"He turned out to be a real skunk when he stole the money from the charity fund."
A highly potent strain of cannabis, typically characterized by a very strong, pungent odor.
"The police discovered a large quantity of skunk hidden in the trunk of the vehicle."
• verb
North American To spray an animal or person with the pungent liquid produced by a skunk's scent glands.
"Our golden retriever got skunked during his evening walk in the woods."
North American To defeat an opponent overwhelmingly in a game or contest, particularly by preventing them from scoring any points.
"The home team completely skunked their rivals in the final match of the season."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a verb, 'to skunk' is primarily used in North American informal contexts to describe defeating an opponent in a game while preventing them from scoring a single point.
• Rhymes for skunk
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from an Algonquian language of southern New England, likely from Massachusett 'squnck' or Abenaki 'seganku', which originally meant 'urinating fox' or referred to its foul scent. First recorded in English in the 1630s.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.