[skunk works] n pl but sing or pl in constr [fr. the Skonk Works, illicit distillery in the comic strip Li'l Abner by Al Capp] (ca. 1974): a usu. small and often isolated department or facility (as for engineering research and development) that functions with minimal supervision within a company or corporation
SKUNK WORKS
Meaning of SKUNK WORKS in English
Merriam-Webster English vocab. Английский словарь Merriam Webster. 2012