scalawag

American  

[skal-uh-wag] / ˈskæl əˌwæg /

especially British, scallywag

noun

1. a scamp; rascal.

2. U.S. History. a native white Southerner who collaborated with the occupying forces during Reconstruction, often for personal gain.

---

scalawag British  

/ ˈskæləˌwæɡ /

noun

1. a variant of scallywag

---

Other Word Forms

• scalawaggery noun
• scalawaggy adjective

Etymology

Origin of scalawag

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

“Nobody wants to see the pirates take over the city,” Castor told the pirates, whom she dubbed “scalawags.”

From Seattle Times

Chadha-Patel is ambiguously charming as a scalawag not entirely out for himself.

From Los Angeles Times

So, I kind of am the scalawag at Joni’s and the girl that plays Madison Square Garden in the trails, too.

From Seattle Times

In this telling, Black Americans were dismissed as unprepared for the tasks of self-government and cast as props for regimes dominated by northern “carpetbaggers” and southern “scalawags.”

From Washington Post

He cracked jokes, made nice with his peers, was a bon vivant and a scalawag.

From New York Times