View synonyms for

scat

[skat]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used without object)

Informal.

scatted, scatting

to go off hastily (often used in the imperative).

scat

[skat]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used without object)

scatted, scatting

to sing by making full or partial use of the technique of scat singing, in which the singer substitutes improvised nonsense syllables for the words of a song.

noun

scat singing.

scat

[skat]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the excrement of a wild animal.

scat

⁴

[skat]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Slang.

heroin.

scat

⁵

Or scatt

[skat]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

(in the Shetland and Orkney Islands) a crown tax, as for use of common lands.

scat-

⁶

variant of scato- before a vowel.

scat

/ ��æ�� /

noun

a type of jazz singing characterized by improvised vocal sounds instead of words

verb

(intr) to sing jazz in this way

scat

/ ��æ�� /

verb

informal��(intr; usually imperative) to go away in haste

scat

/ ��æ�� /

noun

any marine and freshwater percoid fish of the Asian family Scatophagidae, esp Scatophagus argus, which has a beautiful coloration

scat

⁴

/ ��æ�� /

noun

an animal dropping

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Word History and Origins

Origin of scat¹

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; of uncertain origin

Origin of scat²

First recorded in 1925–30; of uncertain origin

Origin of scat³

First recorded in 1925–30; origin uncertain; compare British dialect (southwestern) scat “to scatter, fling down, bespatter”; Greek skat- (stem of ��ô�� “d�ܲԲ�”; scato- ) is an unlikely source, given popular character of the word and unmotivated derivation pattern

Origin of scat⁴

First recorded in 1945–50; of uncertain origin; compare earlier scat (slang) “whiskey”

Origin of scat⁵

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old Norse skattr “tax, treasure”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of scat¹

C20: perhaps imitative

Origin of scat²

C19: perhaps from a hiss + the word cat, used to frighten away cats

Origin of scat³

C20: shortened from Scatophagus; see _scato-

Origin of scat⁴

C20: see _scato-

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He took out his gun and burst into the house, where he was greeted by a giant pile of bear scat.

From

“It doesn’t really make sense. You just have to kind of follow the sound. I still remember the reception that I got from it. Angela Jackson said, ‘You’re scatting on the page.’

From

For music, the show has an original score by the veteran trombonist Craig Harris, played by a jazz band that includes three vocalists who do sometimes scat.

From

“Like claw marks on a tree, or a big pile of bear scat.”

From

They also have the potential to help restore balance in an ecosystem that once relied on the apex predator as gardeners — tilling soils for plants and dispersing seeds through their scat.

From

scary scatback

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