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scuttle.

A container like an open bucket (usually to hold and carry coal).

7 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈskʌt.l̩/
  1. A container like an open bucket (usually to hold and carry coal).

  2. A broad, shallow basket.

  3. A dish, platter or a trencher.

    Northern-England · Scotland · obsolete
Where this word comes from

From Middle English scuttel, scutel, from Old English scutel (“dish, platter”), from Latin scutella, diminutive form of Latin scutra (“flat tray, dish”), perhaps related to Latin scutum (“shield”); compare Dutch schotel and German Schüssel.

noun/ˈskʌt.l̩/
  1. A small hatch or opening in a boat, sometimes one used for draining water from open deck.

  2. A drained trough between the windscreen and bonnet of a motor vehicle, forming the intake to the heating/air-conditioning system, often also containing the windscreen wiper motor.

  3. A drained trough between the windscreen and bonnet of a motor vehicle, forming the intake to the heating/air-conditioning system, often also containing the windscreen wiper motor. By extension, the bulkhead at the front of the passenger compartment.

  4. A hatch that provides access to the roof from the interior of a building.

Where this word comes from

Borrowed from Middle French escoutille (compare French écoutille), from Old Norse skaut (“corner of a cloth, of a sail”), or alternatively from Spanish escotilla, ultimately from Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍄𐍃 (skauts, “projecting edge, fringe”), from Proto-Germanic *skautaz (“corner; wedge; lap”). Compare German Schoß, Old English sċēat. More at sheet.

verb/ˈskʌt.l̩/
  1. To cut a hole or holes through the bottom, deck, or sides of (as of a ship), for any purpose.

    transitive
  2. To deliberately sink one's ship or boat by any means, usually by order of the vessel's commander or owner.

    transitive
    The Vichy French fleet in Toulon in 1942 scuttled itself as a final "fuck you" to the invading Germans.
  3. To deliberately wreck one's vehicle (of any sort).

    broadly · transitive
  4. To undermine or thwart oneself or one's position or property, especially deliberately.

    broadly · transitive
    The candidate had scuttled his chances with his unhinged outburst.
Where this word comes from

Borrowed from Middle French escoutille (compare French écoutille), from Old Norse skaut (“corner of a cloth, of a sail”), or alternatively from Spanish escotilla, ultimately from Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍄𐍃 (skauts, “projecting edge, fringe”), from Proto-Germanic *skautaz (“corner; wedge; lap”). Compare German Schoß, Old English sċēat. More at sheet.

verb/ˈskʌt.l̩/
  1. To move hastily, to scurry.

    intransitive
Where this word comes from

See scuddle.

noun/ˈskʌt.l̩/
  1. A quick pace; a short run.

Where this word comes from

See scuddle.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.