Definition of scalawag
2
:a white Southerner acting in support of the reconstruction governments after the American Civil War often for private gain
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Examples of scalawag in a Sentence
a scalawag who had taken to begging on street corners while posing as a blind person
Recent Examples of scalawag from the Web
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Back on their own ship, the scalawags must decide how to divvy up the booty.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scalawag.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of scalawag
scalawag Synonyms
Synonyms
baddie (or baddy), beast, brute, caitiff, devil, evildoer, fiend, heavy, hound, knave, meanie (also meany), miscreant, monster, nazi, no-good, rapscallion, rascal, reprobate, rogue, savage, villain (or scallywag), scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, varlet, wretchRelated Words
villainess; blackguard; criminal, crook, culprit, felon, lawbreaker, malefactor, offender, perp, perpetrator, transgressor; sinner, trespasser, wrongdoer; cad, heel, serpent, snake, viper; bandit, bravo, desperado, outlaw; con, convict, jailbird; assassin, cutthroat, gangster, goon, gunman, hoodlum, hooligan, racketeer, ruffian, thug; rough, rowdy, tough; loser, lowlife, ne'er-do-well, stinker, trashNear Antonyms
angel, innocent, saint; heroOther History Terms
SCALAWAG Defined for English Language Learners
scalawag
play
noun
Definition of scalawag for English Language Learners
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: a usually young person who causes trouble
SCALAWAG Defined for Kids
scalawag
noun
scal·a·wag
variants:
or
scallywag
\ˈska-li-ˌwag\
Definition of scalawag for Students
:rascal 1
Learn More about scalawag
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See words that rhyme with scalawag Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for scalawag Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scalawag
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