SINCE 1828

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1

scamper

play

verb scam·per \ ˈskam-pər \

Definition of scamper

scampered; scampering play \ˈskam-p(ə-)riŋ\

intransitive verb

:to run nimbly and usually playfully about

See scamper defined for English-language learners

See scamper defined for kids

Examples of scamper in a Sentence

The kids were scampering around the yard.
A mouse scampered across the floor.

Recent Examples of scamper from the Web

That sent Gordon scampering home from first with the aid of an off-target throw.

— craig davis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Giancarlo Stanton hits 50th homer, propels Marlins to series sweep," 27 Aug. 2017
Lloyd threatened when junior Travon Mason scampered up the middle 52 yards to the Beechwood 5.

— james weber, Cincinnati.com, "Northern Kentucky Football: Beechwood cruises past Lloyd to start title defense," 25 Aug. 2017
There wasn’t a baserunner who needed to scamper back to the bag, because this wasn’t in a game.

— pete grathoff, kansascity, "Catcher Salvador Perez could return to Royals as early as Tuesday," 18 Aug. 2017
Your running back catches, turns, scampers into the end zone.

— jenny green, Indianapolis Star, "Andrew Luck’s secret pain: Timeline of an injury Colts hid for more than a year," 16 Aug. 2017
The canyon echoed with their incessant chirping, and if the boat came too close to land, the shoreline would shift inland as crickets scampered away from us.

— jordan rodriguez, idahostatesman, "Here’s one way to use those creepy, crawly Mormon crickets: to catch catfish," 31 July 2017
In the video, the male spider drums and shakes his body before the two approach each other, intertwining their legs for less than a minute while the male deposits his sperm into her genital opening before scampering off.

— hannah lang, National Geographic, "Watch Tarantulas Mate in Rare Video," 12 July 2017
So DeShields’ grounder went as a single, and Gallo scampered to third.

— pedro moura, latimes.com, "Angels salvage series against Rangers with 3-0 win," 9 July 2017
Nobody's really sure how Monkey Hill got its name, although many credit it to the propensity of children to scamper up and down it like a troop of monkeys.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "The evolution of Monkey Hill, and why New Orleanians go ape over it," 9 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scamper.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of scamper

probably from obsolete Dutch schampen to flee, from Middle French escamper, from Italian scampare, from Vulgar Latin *excampare to decamp, from Latin ex- + campus field

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1685

See Words from the same year

scamper Synonyms

Synonyms

dash, gallop, jog, run, sprint, trip, trot

Related Words

bound, canter, leap, lope, shag, skip, spring; barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb [slang], bowl, breeze, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, course, foot (it), hare, hasten, hie, hoof (it), hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, leg (it), pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, rush, rustle, shoot, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom; nip, patter, scoot, scurry, scuttle, step (along)

Near Antonyms

amble, saunter, shamble, shuffle, stroll; crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry; lumber, plod, trudge; hobble, limp

2

scamper

noun

Definition of scamper

:a playful or hurried run or movement

Recent Examples of scamper from the Web

The teams traded two touchdowns each in the closing minutes, including big scoring plays of a 55-yard run for King’s Jalen Jackson (140 yards rushing) and Stepp’s scamper.

— tom lang, Detroit Free Press, "5 takeaways from Detroit King's thrilling win over Indianapolis Cathedral," 26 Aug. 2017
Running back Duke Johnson followed up a 37-yard scamper in the second quarter with a red zone fumble five plays later.

— dan labbe, cleveland.com, "Browns preseason dress rehearsal offers glimpse of what to expect this season -- good and bad," 26 Aug. 2017
Cathedral Catholic’s Shawn Poma scored on a 73-yard scamper, but the Dons’ 15-game winning streak was snapped by Loomis Del Oro.

— union-tribune, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Week 1: prep football notable highlights," 26 Aug. 2017
Karr quarterback Skylar Perry increased the lead with a 2-yard touchdown scamper as time expired in the first half for a 22-7 lead.

— hank brady, NOLA.com, "Karr 29, West Jefferson 13: Jamier Jackson sets tone for Cougars' defense," 25 Aug. 2017
On their second offensive possession, Smith snuck in from a yard out after Jordan Johnson set him up with a 47-yard scamper that succeeded Chatfield’s first interception.

— david furones, Sun-Sentinel.com, "American Heritage rolls this time in kickoff classic vs. Booker T. Washington," 19 Aug. 2017
Johnny Adams, Ben Davis The Ben Davis running back had a 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries, including a 93-yard touchdown scamper in the team's 49-7 win over Tech.

— matthew vantryon, Indianapolis Star, "HS Football: 5 stars of the night from Week 1," 18 Aug. 2017
A 70-yard dash by Payton set up Richardson’s second touchdown, a 14-yard scamper, early in the fourth quarter.

— kyle williams, The Courier-Journal, "New Albany opens season with 34-0 shutout of rival Providence," 18 Aug. 2017
Quarterback Darell Garretson scored the game-winner on a 16-yard scamper.

— OregonLive.com, "Oregon State Beavers 2017 opponent preview: California Golden Bears," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scamper.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of scamper

1697

SCAMPER Defined for English Language Learners

scamper

play

verb

Definition of scamper for English Language Learners

: to run or move quickly and often playfully

SCAMPER Defined for Kids

1

scamper

play

verb scam·per \ ˈskam-pər \

Definition of scamper for Students

scampered; scampering

:to run or move quickly and often playfully about

2

scamper

noun

Definition of scamper for Students

:a hurried and often playful run or movement

Learn More about scamper

See words that rhyme with scamper Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for scamper Spanish Central: Translation of scamper Nglish: Translation of scamper for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of scamper for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up scamper? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

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WORD OF THE DAY

broadside

play

a strongly worded attack

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Scamozzi

scamp

scamper

scamperer

scampi

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Examples: scamper in a Sentence