scooch

or scootch

[ skooch ]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to slide or move a short distance (often used with over ):

   I'd climb onto the top bar of my swing set, scooch across to the middle, and hang upside down by my knees.

   To multiply a decimal by 100, all you do is scooch the decimal point over two spots to the right.

   Scooch over so I can sit beside you.

2. to crouch or squat:

   Bend or scooch down so the measuring cup is at eye level and you can clearly see the markings and the level of the liquid.

noun

1. a small amount or distance:

   You need to tweak the speed of the video’s narration by slowing it down a scooch.

   This is just another scootch down the slippery slope you stepped on when you started buying lottery tickets.

Word History and Origins

Origin of scooch¹

First recorded in 1855–60; perhaps a variant of scrooch ( def ), by association with scoot ( def )

Example Sentences

Her husband protested that he was fine, then began to scooch himself on his bottom into the bedroom.

From New York Times

Williams asks the kids to scooch around the middle of a table and think about what reminds them of “their person.”

From Seattle Times

"This concept of sideways motion with a total mix-up of the wing kinematics is quite amazing -- it's a novel and unexpected method of aperture transit. They're changing the amplitude of the wing beats so that they're not dropping vertically when they do the sideways scooch."

From Science Daily

Using the slower sideways scooch technique may allow birds to better assess upcoming obstacles and voids, thereby reducing the likelihood of collisions.

From Science Daily

As part of the podcast, she and Ms Clarke have interviewed the likes of Lordi, Bucks Fizz and Scooch and her co-host has described their performances to her.

From BBC

Related Words

• accelerate
• drift
• drive
• drop
• fall
• flow
• glide
• move
• sag
• shift
• shove
• skate
• skid
• slip
• slither
• slump
• tumble
• veer