scoot

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• Rhymes: -uːt

Of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Norse skjóta (“to shoot”), or perhaps related to Middle English scottlynge (“moving one's feet quickly, scampering”, literally “scuttling”), see scuddle, scuttle.

scoot (plural scoots)

1. (slang) A dollar.
2. (slang) a scooter.
3. A sideways shuffling or sliding motion.
   • 2013, Liz Carlyle, Three Little Secrets

     Instinctively, he lifted the chair a fraction, and gave it a little scoot away from her.

scoot (third-person singular simple present scoots, present participle scooting, simple past and past participle scooted)

1. (Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (intransitive) To walk fast; to go quickly; to run away hastily.

   They scooted over to the window.

2. (intransitive) To ride on a scooter.
3. (of an animal) To move with the forelegs while sitting, so that the floor rubs against its rear end.

   The dog was scooting all over our new carpet.

   • 1990, Chris C. Pinney, Guide to Home Pet Grooming, page 44:

     If you ever see your dog scooting its hind end along the floor, chances are that anal sac irritation or impaction exists.

   • 1997, J. M. Evans and Kay White, Catopedia:

     What if my cat is biting its tail, scooting or rubbing its bottom on the ground?

   • 2008, Sandy Blackburn, The Everything Dog Grooming Book: All You Need to Help Your Pet Look and Feel Great!, page 62:

     The old wives tale is that a dog that scoots on its rear has worms, but that's rarely the case. Dogs that scoot, lick, or chew underneath their tails usually have anal gland issues.

4. (intransitive) To move sideways (especially along a seat for multiple people), usually to make room for someone else (to sit, stand, etc.).

   Do you mind scooting a bit to the left?

5. (transitive) To dispatch someone or something at speed.
   • 1930, Frank Richards, The Magnet, Prout's Lovely Black Eye

     He scooted us out of the study and turned off the light […]

• For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:scoot.

• scoot over

Variant of shoot.

scoot (third-person singular simple present scoots, present participle scooting, simple past and past participle scooted)

1. (Scotland, transitive) To squirt.

scoot (plural scoots)

1. (Scotland) A sudden flow of water; a squirt.

• Cotos, Scoto-, coost, coots, costo-, scoto-, tocos