scarper
[ skahr-per ]
verb (used without object)British.
to flee or depart suddenly, especially without having paid one's bills.
Origin of scarper
1First recorded in 1845–50; originally argot, probably from Polari, ultimately from Italian scappare “to flee,” from Vulgar Latin excappāre (unattested); see origin at escape
Words Nearby scarper
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British Dictionary definitions for scarper
scarper
/ (ˈskɑːpə) British slang /
verb(intr)
to depart in haste
noun
a hasty departure
Origin of scarper
1C19: probably an adaptation of Italian scappare to escape; perhaps influenced by folk etymology Scapa Flow Cockney rhyming slang for go
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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