scupper

¹ American  

[skuhp-er] / ˈskʌp ər /

noun

1. Nautical. a drain at the edge of a deck exposed to the weather, for allowing accumulated water to drain away into the sea or into the bilges.

2. a drain, closed by one or two flaps, for allowing water from the sprinkler system of a factory or the like to run off a floor of the building to the exterior.

3. any opening in the side of a building, as in a parapet, for draining off rainwater.

---

scupper ² American  

[skuhp-er] / ˈskʌp ər /

verb (used with object)

1. Informal. to prevent from happening or succeeding; ruin; wreck.

   The snowstorm scuppered our plans for the evening.

2. British. to sink (a vessel) deliberately; scuttle.

---

scupper ¹ British  

/ ˈskʌpə /

noun

1. nautical a drain or spout allowing water on the deck of a vessel to flow overboard

2. an opening in the side of a building for draining off water

3. a drain in a factory floor for running off the water from a sprinkler system

---

scupper ² British  

/ ˈskʌpə /

verb

1. slang to overwhelm, ruin, or disable

2. to sink (one's ship) deliberately

---

Etymology

Origin of scupper¹

First recorded in 1475–85; Middle English skopor, scopper; further origin uncertain

Origin of scupper²

First recorded in 1880–85; originally British military slang “to massacre, slaughter”; further origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Scupper the image of Mark Zuckerberg handcrafting a new service to revolutionize how we socialize and adding thousands of jobs to the economy.

From Slate • Sep. 19, 2011

The life at Big Draw mining camp on Scupper Creek did not appeal to Reynolds.

From Glen of the High North by Cody, H. A. (Hiram Alfred)

Scupper, sure that he was not actually going to be hit, escaped with an ease and jauntiness which he was far from feeling.

From The Penalty by Christy, Howard Chandler

There was no wild stampede to the Big Draw mining camp on Scupper Creek, where gold had been discovered.

From Glen of the High North by Cody, H. A. (Hiram Alfred)