skulk
or sculk
- to lie or keep in hiding, as for some evil reason: The thief skulked in the shadows.
- to move in a stealthy manner; slink: The panther skulked through the bush.
- British. to shirk duty; malinger.
- a person who skulks.
- a pack or group of foxes.
- Rare. an act or instance of skulking.
Origin of skulk
Synonyms for skulk
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for skulking
slink, crouch, prowl, snoop, dodge, pussyfoot, hide, slack, avoid, sidestep, sneak, evade, elude, snake, bypass, steal, creepExamples from the Web for skulking
Contemporary Examples of skulking
Later in the spring, she and Elisabeth saw another kind of heron, an American bittern, skulking in some grass by a swamp.
Historical Examples of skulking
Their notion of war was midnight skulking and shooting from behind safe cover.
In the ValleyHarold Frederic
Certainly not; for that sort of thing is an excuse for skulking, and has been the ruin of many an army.
The RepublicPlato
The savages, flushed with success, were skulking every where.
King PhilipJohn S. C. (John Stevens Cabot) Abbott
He thought he was in Castletown, skulking under the walls of the castle.
The ManxmanHall Caine
The man that is tame in times of peace is a skulking woman in times of war.
Love-at-ArmsRaphael Sabatini
skulk
- to move stealthily so as to avoid notice
- to lie in hiding; lurk
- to shirk duty or evade responsibilities; malinger
- a person who skulks
- obsolete a pack of foxes or other animals that creep about stealthily
Word Origin for skulk
Word Origin and History for skulking
skulk
c.1200, from a Scandinavian source, cf. Norwegian skulke "to shirk, malinger," Danish skulke "to spare oneself, shirk," Swedish skolka "to shirk, skulk, slink, play truant." Common in Middle English but lacking in 15c.-16c. records; possibly reborrowed 17c. Related: Skulked; skulking; skulker; skulkery.