1
a
: an oar used at the stern of a boat to propel it forward with a thwartwise motion
b
: either of a pair of oars usually less than 10 feet (3 meters) in length and operated by one person
2
: a racing shell propelled by one or two persons using sculls
sculled; sculling; sculls
: to propel (a boat) by sculls or by a large oar worked thwartwise
: to scull a boat
sculler
noun
Examples of scull in a Sentence
Noun
He took first place in the single sculls.
Verb
She sculled along the river.
a couple sculled past in a racing shell
Recent Examples on the Web
Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
British rower Imogen Grant — who won gold with Emily Craig in the women's lightweight double sculls on Aug. 2 — offered an in-depth look at the special display box and certificate that athletes are given to store their Olympic medals in a video shared on TikTok.
—Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2024
Rollover Boat Blind Sneak boat or scull boat hunting was a popular method of shooting ducks during the market-hunting days.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2024
The veteran rower will have a chance to add to her Olympic medal collection for the first time since 2012, when Kohler captured bronze in the quadruple sculls in Londo.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2024
Men’s double sculls semifinals, 5:10 p.m. Women’s four repechages, 5:30 a.m.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 30 July 2024
Up next: Men’s pair sculls semifinal, July 30 5:10 a.m.
Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi, women’s basketball
CT connection: UConn
All three former Huskies stars started for Team USA in a 102-76 rout of Japan.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 29 July 2024
Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 1 June 2023
Regardless, Toro Arana was determined to learn how to scull.
—Olivia Reiner, USA TODAY, 23 July 2021
Then came a lost decade when the Great Eight sculling all-stars or collegians took the trophy as US Rowing either sent development boats or nobody at all.
—BostonGlobe.com, 21 Oct. 2019
Rowers competed in masters, junior, and novice categories in both sweep rowing and sculling events.
—Bill Roth, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2019
The next came when Jobe, who had put his tee shot into the bunker left of the green, chunked his recovery into the rough and then sculled his chip across the green.
—Don Markus, baltimoresun.com, 16 July 2017
Sitting snug in the rear of the boat, coxswains yell commands to rowers, drowning out wind and sculling noise.
—David Whiting, Orange County Register, 24 May 2017
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Noun
Kneeling beside a stream 30 miles north of McCall in late August, Emmit Taylor Jr. watched two Chinook salmon scull upstream.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
British rower Imogen Grant — who won gold with Emily Craig in the women's lightweight double sculls on Aug. 2 — offered an in-depth look at the special display box and certificate that athletes are given to store their Olympic medals in a video shared on TikTok.
—Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2024
Rollover Boat Blind Sneak boat or scull boat hunting was a popular method of shooting ducks during the market-hunting days.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2024
The veteran rower will have a chance to add to her Olympic medal collection for the first time since 2012, when Kohler captured bronze in the quadruple sculls in Londo.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2024
Men’s double sculls semifinals, 5:10 p.m. Women’s four repechages, 5:30 a.m.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 30 July 2024
Up next: Men’s pair sculls semifinal, July 30 5:10 a.m.
Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi, women’s basketball
CT connection: UConn
All three former Huskies stars started for Team USA in a 102-76 rout of Japan.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 29 July 2024
Verb
Others prefer a quieter approach with an electric trolling motor, or perhaps even drifting with river currents and steering with a sculling paddle.
—Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 1 June 2023
Regardless, Toro Arana was determined to learn how to scull.
—Olivia Reiner, USA TODAY, 23 July 2021
Then came a lost decade when the Great Eight sculling all-stars or collegians took the trophy as US Rowing either sent development boats or nobody at all.
—BostonGlobe.com, 21 Oct. 2019
Rowers competed in masters, junior, and novice categories in both sweep rowing and sculling events.
—Bill Roth, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2019
The next came when Jobe, who had put his tee shot into the bunker left of the green, chunked his recovery into the rough and then sculled his chip across the green.
—Don Markus, baltimoresun.com, 16 July 2017
Sitting snug in the rear of the boat, coxswains yell commands to rowers, drowning out wind and sculling noise.
—David Whiting, Orange County Register, 24 May 2017
Cite this Entry
“Scull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scull. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scull
1 of 2 noun1
a
: an oar used at the stern of a boat to drive it forward with a side-to-side motion
b
: one of a pair of short oars for use by one person
2
: a boat driven by one or more pairs of sculls
scull
2 of 2 verb
: to move a boat by a scull or sculls
sculler
noun
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