SCUPPER


Meaning of SCUPPER in English

~ 1

■ noun a hole in a ship's side to allow water to run away from the deck.

Origin

ME: perh. via Anglo-Norman Fr. from OFr. escopir 'to spit'.

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~ 2

■ verb chiefly Brit.

1》 sink (a ship) deliberately.

2》 informal prevent from working or succeeding; thwart.

Origin

C19 (as military sl. in the sense 'kill, especially in an ambush'): of unknown origin.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.