I. ˈskat noun
( -s )
Etymology: Old Norse skattr tribute — more at sceat
: a crown tax in the Shetland and Orkney islands for the use (as for pasturage) of commons
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably imitative
1. dialect England : a sudden shower of rain
2.
[perhaps from scat (III) ]
dialect : smash , bang , smack
III. transitive verb
( scat ; scat ; scatting ; scats )
Etymology: perhaps short for scatter (I)
1. chiefly dialect : scatter
scat his bones abroad, so as not one hangs to another — Eden Phillpotts
2. chiefly dialect : smash , beat
scat me across the face with a tar brush — Manchester Guardian Weekly
IV. “, usu -ad.+V intransitive verb
( scatted ; scatted ; scatting ; scats )
1. : to go away quickly : leave hurriedly
you just scat off to bed, young lady — Oakley Hall
— often used interjectionally to drive away an animal (as a cat)
2. : to move with more than ordinary speed
only advertised 125 hp, but the car would scat in any man's language — Motor Life
V.
variant of skat
VI. noun
also skat ˈskat, usu -ad.+V
( -s )
Etymology: Greek skat-, skōr excrement — more at scat-
: an animal fecal dropping
VII. noun
( -s )
Etymology: by shortening from New Latin Scatophagus, former generic name, from Greek skatophagos scatophagous
: argusfish
VIII. noun
( -s )
Etymology: perhaps imitative
: singing with meaningless syllables instead of words used especially in jazz for an instrumental effect — compare bop , riff
IX. intransitive verb
( scatted ; scatted ; scatting ; scats )
: to improvise or repeat meaningless syllables to a melody : sing scat