scoot

See also: SCOOT

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skuːt/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːt

Etymology 1

Of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse skjóta (“to shoot”), or perhaps related to Middle English scottlynge (“moving one's feet quickly, scampering”, literally “scuttling”), see scuddle, scuttle.

Noun

scoot (plural scoots)

1. A sideways shuffling or sliding motion.
   • 2013, Liz Carlyle, Three Little Secrets:

     Instinctively, he lifted the chair a fraction, and gave it a little scoot away from her.

2. (slang) A dollar.

Verb

scoot (third-person singular simple present scoots, present participle scooting, simple past and past participle scooted)

2. (intransitive) To walk or travel fast; to go quickly.
4. (intransitive) To run away hastily; scram.

   You'd better scoot before my mother gets home and sees that broken window!

6. (of an animal) To move with the forelegs while sitting, so that the floor rubs against its rear end.

   The dog was scooting all over our new carpet.

   • 1990, Chris C. Pinney, Guide to Home Pet Grooming, page 44:

     If you ever see your dog scooting its hind end along the floor, chances are that anal sac irritation or impaction exists.

   • 1997, J. M. Evans, Kay White, Catopedia:

     What if my cat is biting its tail, scooting or rubbing its bottom on the ground?

   • 2008, Sandy Blackburn, The Everything Dog Grooming Book: All You Need to Help Your Pet Look and Feel Great!, page 62:

     The old wives tale is that a dog that scoots on its rear has worms, but that's rarely the case. Dogs that scoot, lick, or chew underneath their tails usually have anal gland issues.

8. (intransitive, often with over) To move sideways (especially along a seat for multiple people), usually to make room for someone else (to sit, stand, etc.).

   Do you mind scooting a bit to the left?

   Would you mind scooting over for me?

10. (transitive) To dispatch someone or something at speed; Synonym of shoo.
    • 1930, Frank Richards, The Magnet: Prout's Lovely Black Eye:

      He scooted us out of the study and turned off the light […]

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:scoot.

Derived terms

• scoot over
• scoot up

Translations

to walk fast; to go quickly; to run away hastily

• Bulgarian: офейквам (bg) (ofejkvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 疾行 (zh) (jíxíng), 匆匆离去 (cōngcōng líqù)

• Czech: letět (cs) impf, pádit impf, mazat (cs) impf, upalovat (cs) impf
• Finnish: kiiruhtaa (fi), rientää (fi)
• German: schießen (de), stürmen (de), flitzen (de)
• Irish: gread leat
• Maori: takawhiti
• Russian: удирать (ru) (udiratʹ)
• Ukrainian: кидатися (kydatysja), зриватися (zryvatysja), тікати (tikaty), вшиватися (všyvatysja)

(of an animal) to move with the forelegs while sitting

• Finnish: raahata takapuoltaan pitkin jotakin

to move sideways

• Bulgarian: отмествам се (otmestvam se)
• German: seitwärts rutschen, zur Seite rücken, zur Seite hin Platz machen
• Spanish: arrimarse (es)
• Ukrainian: посуватися (posuvatysja) (сидячи), сунутися (sunutysja)

Etymology 2

Clipping of scooter.

Verb

scoot (third-person singular simple present scoots, present participle scooting, simple past and past participle scooted)

2. (intransitive) To ride on a scooter.

   Synonym: scooter

Translations

to ride on a scooter — see scooter

Noun

scoot (plural scoots)

1. (slang) A scooter.
   • 1995, Pixel Pete, Eric Dregni, Peter Martin, Scooters, page 134:

     When you meet with your club, park in front of the café or bar so the world can see your scoots.

Etymology 3

Variant of shoot.

Verb

scoot (third-person singular simple present scoots, present participle scooting, simple past and past participle scooted)

1. (Scotland, transitive) To squirt.

Noun

scoot (plural scoots)

1. (Scotland) A sudden flow of water; a squirt.

Anagrams

• Cotos, Scoto-, Tosco-, coost, coots, costo-, cotso, scoto-, tocos