scamper means A quick, light run. It carries an Arena rating of 1822, earned across 14 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, scamper ranks #410 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #746 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #1,821 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #2,494 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
scamper is pronounced /ˈskæmpə/.
Why “scamper” is a great word
To move with light, quick, and often skittish haste, typically suggesting playfulness or hurried flight. Origin uncertain; first attested 1680-1687. Possibly from Dutch schamperen or Old French escamper, from Vulgar Latin *excampāre ("to decamp, leave the field"). Unlike "sprint," which implies straining toward maximum speed, or "amble," which denotes a leisurely and deliberate stroll, "scamper" carries a note of erratic, almost undignified urgency. It is the squirrel's arc across a winter lawn, the child's flight from a spilled secret, the cockroach's disappearance into a baseboard's shadow—a fleeting and animate brush against stillness, as if dignity were a coat shed mid-leap.
Etymology
First attested in 1687. Origin uncertain, but possibly from Dutch schamperen, from Old French escamper, from Vulgar Latin *excampāre.
noun
- A quick, light run.
- One who skimps or does slipshod work.
verb
- To run lightly and quickly, especially in a playful or undignified manner.e.g.“The dog scampered after the squirrel.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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