scuttle
Preserved but no longer current.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “scuttle” mean?
To scuttle off; to run away. To scuttle a ship; to make a hole in her bottom in order to sink her.
Is “scuttle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.