adj.
Pronunciation: ' skwä-l ə d
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin squalidus rough, dirty, from squal ē re to be covered with scales or dirt, from squalus dirty; perhaps akin to Latin squama scale
Date: 1596
1 : marked by filthiness and degradation from neglect or poverty
2 : SORDID
synonyms see DIRTY
– squal · id · ly adverb
– squal · id · ness noun