scooch

American  

[skooch] / skutʃ /

Or scootch

verb (used with or without object)

1. to slide or move a short distance (often used withover ).

   I'd climb onto the top bar of my swing set, scooch across to the middle, and hang upside down by my knees.

   To multiply a decimal by 100, all you do is scooch the decimal point over two spots to the right.

   Scooch over so I can sit beside you.

2. to crouch or squat.

   Bend or scooch down so the measuring cup is at eye level and you can clearly see the markings and the level of the liquid.

---

noun

1. a small amount or distance.

   You need to tweak the speed of the video’s narration by slowing it down a scooch.

   This is just another scootch down the slippery slope you stepped on when you started buying lottery tickets.

Etymology

Origin of scooch

First recorded in 1855–60; perhaps a variant of scrooch ( def. ), by association with scoot ( def. )

Example Sentences

Her husband protested that he was fine, then began to scooch himself on his bottom into the bedroom.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2024

Using the slower sideways scooch technique may allow birds to better assess upcoming obstacles and voids, thereby reducing the likelihood of collisions.

From Science Daily • Nov. 9, 2023

With the Swoop, an able patient can scooch into the magnet as if wriggling under a car’s bumper.

From Science Magazine • Feb. 22, 2023

“It’s almost as if I scooch the headache forward until the competition is done, and now it’s kicking in bad,” van den Berg said.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2021

Nali used a metal poker to scooch bright embers underneath the kettle, rustling up embers that floated like fireflies.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• accelerate
• drift
• drive
• drop
• fall
• flow
• glide
• move
• sag
• shift
• shove
• skate
• skid
• slip
• slither
• slump
• tumble
• veer