skelm

British

/ ˈskɛləm /

noun

informal a villain or crook

"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

Etymology

Origin of skelm

Afrikaans

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.

Oom Leeuw crept up slowly, quietly, like a skelm, behind Brother Bullfrog.

From Outa Karel's Stories South African Folk-Lore Tales by Metelerkamp, Sanni

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023