I. ˈsküt, usu -üd.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skjōta to shoot — more at shoot
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to go suddenly and swiftly : dart , scud
cracked the whip over the mare like a rifle shot and she scooted by — H.B.Altuler
trucks of one of the evening papers scooting around town to deliver the latest editions — Mollie Panter-Downes
farm prices usually scoot up and down much faster than the prices of what the farmer buys — Time
scooted up the stairs — Richard Burke
: go away in haste : decamp
took his collections and scooted — N.M.Clark
scooted out of the courtroom like the Devil was after her — Eudora Welty
scoot or you will be late
b. : to slide suddenly or swiftly
scooted down a little in his chair — William Brinkley
placed one hand on his shoulder; the other on the craft's gunwale, raised his feet and scooted overside — K.M.Dodson
2. dialect chiefly Britain : to shoot or squirt forth
water scoots from a hose
transitive verb
1. : to cause to scoot
scooting their shoe toes up their calves to restore the shine — Darrell Berrigan
scooted his chair a bit closer — H.O.Yardley
scooted his glass around in large circles — H.D.Skidmore
2. chiefly Scotland : squirt
scooting each other with the hose — Carson McCullers
II. noun
( -s )
1. chiefly Scotland : a sudden flow (as of water from a hose)
2. : an act of scooting
its a quick scoot down the sailboat-filled harbor — Peter Barrett
3. : a single logging sled : dray
4. : a trapshooting game for four-man teams in which the first releases a target with a handtrap, the second man tries to break the target, the third covers for the second and scores if he breaks the target missed by the second, and a fourth acts as scorekeeper, players rotating positions until 20 targets have been thrown
5. dialect : scoter
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: origin unknown
1. : a piece of hardwood lumber that is inferior to any recognized grade
2. : a piece of lumber that is very defective and practically worthless