Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SCAL'Y, a. [from scale.]

1. Covered or abounding with scales rough; as, a scaly fish; the scaly crocodile. – Milton.
2. Resembling scales, lamina or layers.
3. In botany, composed of scales lying over each other, as a scaly bulb; having scales scattered over it, as a scaly stem. – Martyn.

SCA'LY-WING-ED, a.

Having wings with scales. – Kirby.

SCAM'BLE, v.i. [D. schommelen, to stir, to shake.]

1. To stir quick; to be busy; to scramble; to be bold or turbulent. – Shak.
2. To shift awkwardly. – More.

SCAM'BLE, v.t.

To mangle; to maul. – Mortimer.

SCAM'BLER, n.

A bold intruder upon the generosity or hospitality of others. – Steevens.

SCAM'BLING, ppr.

Stirring; scrambling; intruding.

SCAM'BLING-LY, adv.

With turbulence and noise; with bold intrusiveness.

SCAM'MEL, n.

A bird.

SCAM-MO'NI-ATE, a. [from scammony.]

. Made with scammony. – Wiseman.

SCAM'MO-NY, n. [L. scammonia, from the Persian.]

1. A plant of the genus Convolvuldur.
2. An inspissated sap obtained from the plant Convolvulus Scammonia, of a blackish gray color, a nauseous smell, and a bitter and acrid taste. The best scammony comes from Aleppo, in light spungy masses, easily friable. That of Smyrna is black, ponderous, and mixed with extraneous matter. – Fourcroy. Encyc.

SCAMP, n. [See Scamper.]

A worthless fellow.

SCAMP'ER, v.i. [D. schampen, to slip aside; Fr. escamper; It. scampare, to escape, to save one's self; scampo, safety; compare, to preserve, to fly, to escape; Sp. escampar, to clear out a place.]

To run with speed; to hasten escape. – Addison.

SCAMP'ER-ING, ppr.

Running with speed; hastening in flight.

SCAN, v.t. [Fr. scander; Sp. escander; It. scandire, scandere, to climb, to scan. The Italian is the L. ascendo. See Ascend.]

1. To examine with critical care; to scrutinize. The actions of men in high stations are all conspicuous, and liable to be scanned and sifted. Atterbury.
2. To examine a verse by counting the feet; or according to modern usage, to recite or measure verse by distinguishing the feet in pronunciation. Thus in Latin and Greek, a hexameter verse is resolved into six feet by scanning, and the true quantities are determined.

SCAN'DAL, n. [Fr. scandale; It. scandalo; Sp. escandalo; L. scandalum; Gr. σκανδαλον; Ir. scannail, slander. In Greek, this word signifies a stumbling-block, something against which a person impinges, or which causes him to fall. In Sax. scande, sconde, signifies shame, confusion, dishonor, infamy; D. schande, id.; schandaal, reproach, scandal; G. schande, shame; schänden, to mar, disfigure, spoil, violate; Dan. skiender, to abuse, defame, &c.; Sans. schiande or ishianda, scandal. In Arm. scandal is a quarrel. The primary sense of the root must be to drive, to thrust, or to strike or east down.]

1. Offense given by the faults of another. His lustful orgies he enlarg'd / Even to the hill of scandal. – Milton. [In this sense we now generally use offense.]
2. Reproachful aspersion: opprobrious censure; defamatory speech or report; something uttered which is false and injurious to reputation. My known virtue is from scandal free. – Dryden.
3. Shame; reproach; disgrace. Such is the perverted state of the human mind that some of the most hainous crimes bring little scandal upon the offender.

SCAN'DAL, v.t.

1. To treat opprobriously; to defame; to asperse; to traduce; to blacken character. I do fawn on men, and hug them hard, / And after scandal them. [Little used.] – Shak.
2. To scandalize; to offend. [Not used.] – Bp. Story.

SCAN'DAL-IZE, v.t. [Gr. σκανδαλιζω; L. scandalizo; Sp. escandalizar; It. scandaleux; Fr. scandaliser.]

1. To offend by some action supposed criminal. I demand who they are whom we scandalize by using harmless things? – Hooker.
2. To reproach; to disgrace; to defame; as a scandalizing libeler. – Addison.

SCAN'DAL-IZ-ED, pp.

Offended; defamed; disgraced.

SCAN'DAL-IZ-ING, ppr.

Giving offense to; disgracing.

SCAN'DAL-OUS, a. [It. scanduloso; Sp. escandaloso; Fr. scandaleux; Sw. skändelig.]

1. Giving offense. Nothing scandalous or offensive to any. – Hooker.
2. Opprobrious; disgraceful to reputation; that brings shame or infamy; as, a scandalous crime or vice. How perverted must be the mind that considers seduction or dueling less scandalous than larceny!
3. Defamatory.

SCAN'DAL-OUS-LY, adv.

1. Shamefully; in a manner to give offense. His discourse at table was scandalously unbecoming the dignity of his station. – Swift.
2. Censoriously; with a disposition to find fault; as, a critic scandalously nice. – Pope.

SCAN'DAL-OUS-NESS, n.

The quality of being scandalous; the quality of giving offense, or of being disgraceful. Scandalum-magnatum, n. [Scandalum magnatum.] In law, a defamatory speech or writing made or published to the injury of a person of dignity. – Encyc.

SCAN'DENT, a. [L. scandens, scando, to climb.]

Climbing, either with spiral tendrils for its support, or by adhesive fibers, as a stalk; climbing; performing the office of a tendril, as a petiole. – Smith. Bigelow.

SCAN'NED, pp.

Critically sifted or examined; resolved into feet in recital.

SCAN'NG, ppr.

Critically examining; resolving into feet, as verse.