scat

¹

[ skat ]

verb (used without object)

, Informal.

, scat·ted, scat·ting.

1. to go off hastily (often used in the imperative).

scat

²

[ skat ]

verb (used without object)

, scat·ted, scat·ting.

1. to sing by making full or partial use of the technique of scat singing, in which the singer substitutes improvised nonsense syllables for the words of a song.

noun

1. scat singing.

scat

³

[ skat ]

noun

1. the excrement of a wild animal.

scat

⁴

[ skat ]

noun

, Slang.

1. heroin.

scat

⁵

or scatt

[ skat ]

noun

1. (in the Shetland and Orkney Islands) a crown tax, as for use of common lands.

scat-

⁶

1. variant of scato- before a vowel.

scat

¹

/ skæt /

noun

1. an animal dropping

scat

²

/ skæt /

noun

1. any marine and freshwater percoid fish of the Asian family Scatophagidae, esp Scatophagus argus, which has a beautiful coloration

scat

³

/ skæt /

verb

1. informal.
   intr; usually imperative to go away in haste

scat

⁴

/ skæt /

noun

1. a type of jazz singing characterized by improvised vocal sounds instead of words

verb

1. intr to sing jazz in this way

Word History and Origins

Origin of scat¹

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; of uncertain origin

Origin of scat²

First recorded in 1925–30; of uncertain origin

Origin of scat³

First recorded in 1925–30; origin uncertain; compare British dialect (southwestern) scat “to scatter, fling down, bespatter”; Greek skat- (stem of skôr “dung”; scato- ) is an unlikely source, given popular character of the word and unmotivated derivation pattern

Origin of scat⁴

First recorded in 1945–50; of uncertain origin; compare earlier scat (slang) “whiskey”

Origin of scat⁵

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old Norse skattr “tax, treasure”

Word History and Origins

Origin of scat¹

C20: see scato-

Origin of scat²

C20: shortened from Scatophagus; see scato-

Origin of scat³

C19: perhaps from a hiss + the word cat, used to frighten away cats

Origin of scat⁴

C20: perhaps imitative

Example Sentences

“He’s treated like any other member of staff with his PPE and breaks after detecting scat,” Ulf said.

From BBC

The count was conducted by state and university scientists who used GPS collar data and genetic information from scat samples to model population densities across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Mojave Desert and Southern California’s patchwork of weedy, fire-stripped wilderness.

From Los Angeles Times

Zollar is careful to stress that “Scat!” isn’t a straight biography of her parents.

From New York Times

For music, the show has an original score by the veteran trombonist Craig Harris, played by a jazz band that includes three vocalists who do sometimes scat.

From New York Times

“Scat!” travels next to the American Dance Festival in North Carolina, where Zollar will add to her lifetime achievement awards.

From New York Times