"scalawag" meaning in English

See scalawag in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: scalawags [plural]
Etymology: Of obscure origin, perhaps from the name of the Shetland village of Scalloway (from Old Norse Skálavágr), known for its dwarf ponies and dwarf cattle. Etymology templates: {{uder|en|non|Skálavágr}} Old Norse Skálavágr Head templates: {{en-noun}} scalawag (plural scalawags)
  1. (derogatory) A disreputable fellow, a good-for-nothing, a scapegrace, a blackguard. Tags: derogatory
    Sense id: en-scalawag-en-noun-7m-dWk03
  2. (informal) A badly behaved person, especially a child; a mischief-maker; a rascal. Tags: informal
    Sense id: en-scalawag-en-noun-mUYShTPd
  3. (derogatory, archaic) A scrawny cow. Tags: archaic, derogatory
    Sense id: en-scalawag-en-noun-DUYkfDco
  4. (derogatory, US, archaic or historical) Any white Southerner who supported the federal plan of Reconstruction after the American Civil War or who joined with the black freedmen and the carpetbaggers in support of Republican Party policies. Tags: US, archaic, derogatory, historical Categories (topical): People Categories (lifeform): Cattle
    Sense id: en-scalawag-en-noun-DzqKDZnl Disambiguation of People: 20 18 0 40 22 Disambiguation of Cattle: 14 12 5 51 19 Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, English undefined derivations, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 15 14 0 51 20 Disambiguation of English undefined derivations: 18 14 1 48 19 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 14 13 1 52 20 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 14 13 1 54 19
  5. (Philippines, law enforcement, military) rogue police; rogue military personnel Tags: Philippines Categories (topical): Law enforcement, Military
    Sense id: en-scalawag-en-noun--Zoajry6 Categories (other): Philippine English Topics: government, law-enforcement, military, politics, war
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: scallawag, scalliwag, scallywag, skalawag Derived forms: scally, scallie

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "scally"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "scallie"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "Skálavágr"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse Skálavágr",
      "name": "uder"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Of obscure origin, perhaps from the name of the Shetland village of Scalloway (from Old Norse Skálavágr), known for its dwarf ponies and dwarf cattle.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "scalawags",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "scalawag (plural scalawags)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "A disreputable fellow, a good-for-nothing, a scapegrace, a blackguard."
      ],
      "id": "en-scalawag-en-noun-7m-dWk03",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "disreputable",
          "disreputable#English"
        ],
        [
          "good-for-nothing",
          "good-for-nothing#English"
        ],
        [
          "scapegrace",
          "scapegrace#English"
        ],
        [
          "blackguard",
          "blackguard#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory) A disreputable fellow, a good-for-nothing, a scapegrace, a blackguard."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2022 August 9, Ayo Edebiri & Shana Gohd, “Private School” (0:54 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 4, episode 5, spoken by Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry):",
          "text": "“This ruckus never seems to end.” (Colin laughing) “He's very loud, and unlike us, he does not sleep during the day.” “Nor does he sleep during the night.” “When does he sleep?” “I don't think he does.” (glass breaks) “Never a dull moment with that scalawag.” “I'm pretty sure he must be part demon.” “Nonsense. He's all boy.”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A badly behaved person, especially a child; a mischief-maker; a rascal."
      ],
      "id": "en-scalawag-en-noun-mUYShTPd",
      "links": [
        [
          "child",
          "child#English"
        ],
        [
          "mischief-maker",
          "mischief-maker#English"
        ],
        [
          "rascal",
          "rascal#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A badly behaved person, especially a child; a mischief-maker; a rascal."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "A scrawny cow."
      ],
      "id": "en-scalawag-en-noun-DUYkfDco",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "scrawny",
          "scrawny"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory, archaic) A scrawny cow."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "derogatory"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 14 0 51 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 14 1 48 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English undefined derivations",
          "parents": [
            "Undefined derivations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 13 1 52 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 13 1 54 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 12 5 51 19",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Cattle",
          "orig": "en:Cattle",
          "parents": [
            "Bovines",
            "Livestock",
            "Even-toed ungulates",
            "Agriculture",
            "Animals",
            "Mammals",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Lifeforms",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Chordates",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 18 0 40 22",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, 1944, →OCLC, part IV, page 803:",
          "text": "“And you, Hugh Elsing, I’m ashamed of you! What will your poor mother say? Drunk and out with a—a Yankee-loving Scallawag like Captain Butler![…]”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any white Southerner who supported the federal plan of Reconstruction after the American Civil War or who joined with the black freedmen and the carpetbaggers in support of Republican Party policies."
      ],
      "id": "en-scalawag-en-noun-DzqKDZnl",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "Southerner",
          "Southerner"
        ],
        [
          "Reconstruction",
          "Reconstruction"
        ],
        [
          "American Civil War",
          "American Civil War"
        ],
        [
          "freedmen",
          "freedman"
        ],
        [
          "carpetbagger",
          "carpetbagger"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory, US, archaic or historical) Any white Southerner who supported the federal plan of Reconstruction after the American Civil War or who joined with the black freedmen and the carpetbaggers in support of Republican Party policies."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "archaic",
        "derogatory",
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Philippine English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Law enforcement",
          "orig": "en:Law enforcement",
          "parents": [
            "Crime prevention",
            "Emergency services",
            "Law",
            "Crime",
            "Public safety",
            "Justice",
            "Criminal law",
            "Society",
            "Public administration",
            "Security",
            "All topics",
            "Government",
            "Fundamental",
            "Politics"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Military",
          "orig": "en:Military",
          "parents": [
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "rogue police; rogue military personnel"
      ],
      "id": "en-scalawag-en-noun--Zoajry6",
      "links": [
        [
          "law enforcement",
          "law enforcement"
        ],
        [
          "military",
          "military"
        ],
        [
          "rogue",
          "rogue"
        ],
        [
          "police",
          "police"
        ],
        [
          "personnel",
          "personnel"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Philippines, law enforcement, military) rogue police; rogue military personnel"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Philippines"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "government",
        "law-enforcement",
        "military",
        "politics",
        "war"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "scallawag"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "scalliwag"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "scallywag"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "skalawag"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "scalawag"
  ],
  "word": "scalawag"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Old Norse",
    "English undefined derivations",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Cattle",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "scally"
    },
    {
      "word": "scallie"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "Skálavágr"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse Skálavágr",
      "name": "uder"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Of obscure origin, perhaps from the name of the Shetland village of Scalloway (from Old Norse Skálavágr), known for its dwarf ponies and dwarf cattle.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "scalawags",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "scalawag (plural scalawags)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English derogatory terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A disreputable fellow, a good-for-nothing, a scapegrace, a blackguard."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "disreputable",
          "disreputable#English"
        ],
        [
          "good-for-nothing",
          "good-for-nothing#English"
        ],
        [
          "scapegrace",
          "scapegrace#English"
        ],
        [
          "blackguard",
          "blackguard#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory) A disreputable fellow, a good-for-nothing, a scapegrace, a blackguard."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2022 August 9, Ayo Edebiri & Shana Gohd, “Private School” (0:54 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 4, episode 5, spoken by Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry):",
          "text": "“This ruckus never seems to end.” (Colin laughing) “He's very loud, and unlike us, he does not sleep during the day.” “Nor does he sleep during the night.” “When does he sleep?” “I don't think he does.” (glass breaks) “Never a dull moment with that scalawag.” “I'm pretty sure he must be part demon.” “Nonsense. He's all boy.”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A badly behaved person, especially a child; a mischief-maker; a rascal."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "child",
          "child#English"
        ],
        [
          "mischief-maker",
          "mischief-maker#English"
        ],
        [
          "rascal",
          "rascal#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A badly behaved person, especially a child; a mischief-maker; a rascal."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English derogatory terms",
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A scrawny cow."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "scrawny",
          "scrawny"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory, archaic) A scrawny cow."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "derogatory"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English derogatory terms",
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with historical senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, 1944, →OCLC, part IV, page 803:",
          "text": "“And you, Hugh Elsing, I’m ashamed of you! What will your poor mother say? Drunk and out with a—a Yankee-loving Scallawag like Captain Butler![…]”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any white Southerner who supported the federal plan of Reconstruction after the American Civil War or who joined with the black freedmen and the carpetbaggers in support of Republican Party policies."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "Southerner",
          "Southerner"
        ],
        [
          "Reconstruction",
          "Reconstruction"
        ],
        [
          "American Civil War",
          "American Civil War"
        ],
        [
          "freedmen",
          "freedman"
        ],
        [
          "carpetbagger",
          "carpetbagger"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory, US, archaic or historical) Any white Southerner who supported the federal plan of Reconstruction after the American Civil War or who joined with the black freedmen and the carpetbaggers in support of Republican Party policies."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "archaic",
        "derogatory",
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Philippine English",
        "en:Law enforcement",
        "en:Military"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "rogue police; rogue military personnel"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "law enforcement",
          "law enforcement"
        ],
        [
          "military",
          "military"
        ],
        [
          "rogue",
          "rogue"
        ],
        [
          "police",
          "police"
        ],
        [
          "personnel",
          "personnel"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Philippines, law enforcement, military) rogue police; rogue military personnel"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Philippines"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "government",
        "law-enforcement",
        "military",
        "politics",
        "war"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "scallawag"
    },
    {
      "word": "scalliwag"
    },
    {
      "word": "scallywag"
    },
    {
      "word": "skalawag"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "scalawag"
  ],
  "word": "scalawag"
}

Download raw JSONL data for scalawag meaning in English (4.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.