skank

American  

[skangk] / skæŋk /

noun

1. a prostitute; whore.

   I won't date someone who dresses like a skank.

2. Disparaging and Offensive. a person who is sexually promiscuous, especially a woman.

3. a dirty, repulsive, or immoral person.

   That hate-preaching skank is getting me really mad.

4. dirty or repulsive matter; filth.

   Don't wash the dog in the bathtub—it took a lot of scrubbing to clean the skank out last time!

5. a dance usually performed to reggae, dub, or ska music and characterized by jerky, rhythmic movements, bending forward while swinging the arms and raising the knees.

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verb (used without object)

1. to dance the skank.

   If you're ready to skank hard, come to our club and bring your positive energy!

skank British  

/ skæŋk /

noun

1. a fast dance to reggae music

2. slang a promiscuous female

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verb

1. to perform this dance

Other Word Forms

• skanker noun

Etymology

Origin of skank

First recorded in 1960–65; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

A fine disc to just toss on the player — er, iPod — and skank along till the small hours.

From Washington Times • Feb. 17, 2015

The arrangement is full of space and bloops, like chillwave trip-hop, before the rhythm starts to skank like the highly touted Wild Belle, who we raved about earlier this year.

From The Guardian • May 31, 2012

Over on the Revellers' Stage, Horace Andy provides a more reassuring skank, while another of Massive Attack's old muckers Neneh Cherry manages to rouse the crowd with a bassy version of Buffalo Stance.

From The Guardian • Aug. 6, 2011

They are not that, however — more of a jangly, fiddlefied Americana-pop band dabbling in Irish jig, reggae skank and the occasional extended improv.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 30, 2010

Things really lit up when keyboardist Seth Justman played the opening notes to "Freeze Frame," which later segued into the reggae-fied skank of "Give It to Me."

From Reuters • Aug. 17, 2010