/ ˈskʌtl; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] to run with quick short steps
SYN scurry :
She scuttled off when she heard the sound of his voice.
He held his breath as a rat scuttled past.
2.
[ vn ] to deliberately cause sth to fail
SYN foil :
Shareholders successfully scuttled the deal.
3.
[ vn ] to sink a ship deliberately by making holes in the side or bottom of it
■ noun
= coal scuttle
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WORD ORIGIN
noun late Old English scutel dish, platter , from Old Norse skutill , from Latin scutella dish.
verb sense 1 late 15th cent.: compare with dialect scuddle , frequentative of scud .
verb senses 2 to 3 late 15th cent. (as a noun): perhaps from Old French escoutille , from the Spanish diminutive escotilla hatchway. The verb dates from the mid 17th cent.