scamp

American  

[skamp] / skæmp /

noun

1. an unscrupulous and often mischievous person; rascal; rogue; scalawag.

2. a playful, mischievous, or naughty young person; upstart.

3. a grouper, Mycteroperca phenax, of Florida: so called from its habit of stealing bait.

---

verb (used with object)

scamps, present (3rd person singular) scamped, past participle, past scamping present participle

1. to do or perform in a hasty or careless manner.

   to scamp work.

scamp ¹ British  

/ skæmp /

noun

1. an idle mischievous person; rascal

2. a mischievous child

---

scamp ² British  

/ skæmp /

verb

1. a less common word for skimp

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• scamper
  noun
• unscamped
  adjective
• scampishness
  noun
• scampish
  adjective
• scampingly
  adverb
• scampishly
  adverb

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have scamped
  perfect
• has scamped
  perfect 3rd person singular
• am scamping
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been scamping
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• scamping
  participle
• have been scamping
  perfect progressive
• is scamping
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are scamping
  progressive
• scamps
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had scamped
  perfect
• were scamping
  progressive plural
• scamped
  simple
• scamped
  participle
• was scamping
  progressive singular
• had been scamping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will scamp
  simple
• will have scamped
  perfect
• will have been scamping
  perfect progressive
• will be scamping
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of scamp

1775–85; obsolete scamp to travel about idly or for mischief, perhaps < obsolete Dutch schampen to be gone < Old French escamper to decamp