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• scat
  scat

  verb (used without object)

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

  variant of scato- before a vowel.

scat

¹ American  

[skat] / skæt /

verb (used without object)

Informal.

scatted, scatting

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

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scat ² American  

[skat] / skæt /

verb (used without object)

scatted, scatting

1. 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.

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noun

1. scat singing.

scat ³ American  

[skat] / skæt /

noun

1. the excrement of a wild animal.

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scat ⁴ American  

[skat] / skæt /

noun

Slang.

1. heroin.

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scat ⁵ American  

[skat] / skæt /

Or scatt

noun

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

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scat- ⁶ American  

1. variant of scato- before a vowel.

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scat ¹ British  

/ skæt /

noun

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

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verb

1. (intr) to sing jazz in this way

scat ² British  

/ skæt /

verb

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

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scat ³ British  

/ skæt /

noun

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

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scat ⁴ British  

/ skæt /

noun

1. an animal dropping

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Etymology

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 skôr “dung”; see 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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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scat scatted scatting

“But she’s not a scat singer. She improvises more in the technique of the Baroque period, expanding and contracting phrases or adding trills that deviate from the melody.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

If there are additional sightings, he hopes that scientists will take a genetic sample from its scat or another source, which they could analyze to learn more about its ancestry.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2026

Newly christened, she became known for scat singing, a vocal style that originated with ragtime - which enabled her to improvise melodies using her voice as an instrument.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2025

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 New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2024

Forget bird scat, I had other scat to look into.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

She sang open-throated declarations, recited broken poetic verses, scatted with the authority of a jazz singer, moaned with bluesy intent, and occasionally let loose an unbridled shriek or giggle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026

Hancock sang identifiable words during “Come Running to Me,” but they were mutated by a vocoder, and most of the evening’s other vocals were scatted and altered.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 9, 2017

One scatted like a jazz singer, another embodied hip-hop, another the smooth and swiveling hip movements of a salsa.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2016

The beautiful public baths, just off Twenty-third Street on Asser Levy Place, across from Peter Cooper Village, are like a pun on the defeat of the rebel forces that scatted here, headed north.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 25, 2015

One distinguishing feature of hunger I already knew was persistence: I, too, whenever I felt hungry, always returned to the source of food whenever I was scatted.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

One of the album’s most popular songs, “Show Me the Way,” features Mr. Frampton scatting through the talk box.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

The first rule of ZAZ-style comedy is that you can’t ever appear like you’re in on the joke, which Anderson edges close to once when she breaks into a scatting jazz number.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2025

His head tilted back while scatting, he holds a handkerchief to mop his forehead.

From New York Times ● Oct. 27, 2022

Scooby-Doo’s name came from Silverman, who had heard Frank Sinatra scatting “doo-be-doo-be-doo” on a recording of “Strangers in the Night,” and whose own name was used for Fred, the group’s ascot-wearing leader.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2020

Okay, but after that, I'm scatting on the world, like a scoobidee doo day deeeee.

From "Sunny" by Jason Reynolds

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