scalawag

[ skal-uh-wag ]

noun

1. a scamp; rascal.
2. U.S. History. a native white Southerner who collaborated with the occupying forces during Reconstruction, often for personal gain.

scalawag

/ ˈskæləˌwæɡ /

noun

1. a variant of scallywag

Other Words From

• scala·wagger·y noun
• scala·waggy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scalawag¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

That means pillaging merchant ships, battling rival scalawags, dodging the authorities and even surviving the occasional sea monster on your way to becoming the Pirate Kingpin.

From Seattle Times

“Nobody wants to see the pirates take over the city,” Castor told the pirates, whom she dubbed “scalawags.”

From Seattle Times

Chadha-Patel is ambiguously charming as a scalawag not entirely out for himself.

From Los Angeles Times

So, I kind of am the scalawag at Joni’s and the girl that plays Madison Square Garden in the trails, too.

From Seattle Times

In this telling, Black Americans were dismissed as unprepared for the tasks of self-government and cast as props for regimes dominated by northern “carpetbaggers” and southern “scalawags.”

From Washington Post