SKUNK
What does "SKUNK" mean?
A black-and-white American mammal that sprays a foul-smelling fluid in defense.
Meanings
- A small omnivorous mammal of the Americas, noted for the pungent liquid it ejects from anal glands when threatened. A skunk wandered through the campsite at dusk.
- A contemptible or obnoxious person (informal). Only a skunk would steal from his own grandmother. informal
- To defeat an opponent overwhelmingly, especially without letting them score. Our team skunked theirs nine to nothing. informal
Did you know?
- A striped skunk can aim and fire its musk with accuracy from about 10 feet away - and the spray is a sulfur compound the human nose can detect at a few parts per billion.
Word origin
From an Algonquian language, likely Abenaki 'segankw' or a related Massachusett word, meaning the animal; adopted into English by 17th-century New England colonists.
Remember it
SKUNK starts with the same 'SK' as 'stink' said sideways - and the U sits between two consonant walls like the white stripe down its back.
A little poem
A white seam of warning
drawn down the small black body-
the wise read it first.
haiku
Wordplay
- Why did nobody argue with the skunk? It always made a stink, and it always won by a nose.
What it teaches
A clear warning honestly worn saves everyone the fight - the skunk's stripe is a courtesy first.
Quick facts
What does SKUNK mean?
A black-and-white American mammal that sprays a foul-smelling fluid in defense.
Is SKUNK a valid word?
Yes — SKUNK is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is SKUNK?
SKUNK has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does SKUNK come from?
From an Algonquian language, likely Abenaki 'segankw' or a related Massachusett word, meaning the animal; adopted into English by 17th-century New England colonists.
What can SKUNK teach us?
A clear warning honestly worn saves everyone the fight - the skunk's stripe is a courtesy first.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.