Adjacent Words

Scupper definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SCUP'PER, n. The scuppers or scupper holes of a ship, are channels cut through the water ways and sides of a ship at proper distances, and lined with lead for carrying off the water from the deck.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: drain that allows water on the deck of a vessel to flow overboard v
1: wait in hiding to attack [syn: ambush, scupper, bushwhack, waylay, lurk, ambuscade, lie in wait]
2: put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position [syn: queer, expose, scupper, endanger, peril]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English skopper- (in compounds), perhaps from Anglo-French *escopoir, from escopir to spit out Date: 15th century 1. an opening cut through the bulwarks of a ship so that water falling on deck may flow overboard 2. an opening in the wall of a building through which water can drain from a floor or flat roof II. transitive verb Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1899 British to defeat or put an end to ; do in 1a

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. a hole in a ship's side to carry off water from the deck. Etymology: ME (perh. f. AF) f. OF escopir f. Rmc skuppire (unrecorded) to spit: orig. imit. 2. v.tr. Brit. sl. 1 sink (a ship or its crew). 2 defeat or ruin (a plan etc.). 3 kill. Etymology: 19th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Scupper Scup"per, n. [OF. escopir, escupir, to spit, perhaps for escospir, L. ex + conspuere to spit upon; pref. con- + spuere to spit. Cf. Spit, v.] (Naut.) An opening cut through the waterway and bulwarks of a ship, so that water falling on deck may flow overboard; -- called also scupper hole.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(scuppers, scuppering, scuppered) To scupper a plan or attempt means to spoil it completely. (mainly BRIT JOURNALISM) If Schneider had seen him that would have scuppered all his plans... VERB: V n