Word of the Day

: November 20, 2007

skulduggery

noun skull-DUG-uh-ree

What It Means

: underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; also : a devious device or trick

skulduggery in Context

The investigation uncovered that the company had falsified their records, along with other sorts of financial skulduggery.

Did You Know?

"Skulduggery," which can also be spelled "skullduggery," was first documented in the mid-19th century spelled as "scull-duggery." Etymologists aren't sure exactly how the word arrived in English, but they do not believe it has anything to do with skulls. It is possibly derived from the now-very-rare "sculduddery," a term once used to refer to gross or lewd conduct, but unfortunately the origins of that word are also unknown.