skellum
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of skellum
1605–15; < Dutch schelm rogue, knave < Middle Low German; cognate with German Schelm rogue, Old High German skelmo, scalmo plague, corpse
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Brown is of a generation with my parents, and grew up calling a chimney a lum, an ear a lug, a frog a puddock, and the likes of David Cameron, a sleekit skellum.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 4, 2010
‘D’ye mean to say I’s a-gun’ to run away f’m a skellum like dat?
From Old Hendrik's Tales by Vaughan, Arthur Owen
Dere he was, an’ dere’s de leopard comin’ for her cubses; but darie ou’ skellum he ain’t done yet.
From Old Hendrik's Tales by Vaughan, Arthur Owen
My footy, Congo! ole fool you! b’lieve you tell depth so? tink so, ole skellum?
From The Young Yagers A Narrative of Hunting Adventures in Southern Africa by Reid, Mayne
‘Allah Crachty!’ says she, ‘but dat Ou’ Wolf is about de laziest skellum ever any woman wore herse’f out wid.
From Old Hendrik's Tales by Vaughan, Arthur Owen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
