Scamper
Contents
English
Noun
Scamper (plural Scampers)- A quick, light run.
Verb
Scamper (third-person singular simple present Scampers, present participle Scampering, simple past and past participle Scampered)
- (intransitive) To run quickly and lightly, especially in a playful manner or in an undignified manner.
- The dog scampered after the squirrel.
- 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs , Tarzan of the Apes , Chapter 1
- The younger and lighter members of his tribe scampered to the higher branches of the great trees to escape his wrath; risking their lives upon branches that scarce supported their weight rather than face old Kerchak in one of his fits of uncontrolled anger.
Synonyms
- scurry
- See also Thesaurus:walk
Adverbs for Scamper
hurriedly; swiftly; playfully; boisterously; friskily; joyously; blithely.
Thesaurus
bolt, bundle, burst, burst of speed, bustle, canter, career, chase, crowd, dart, dash, dash off, dash on, dead run, dig out, dogtrot, double-time, drive, festinate, flank speed, flat-out speed, flee, fling, flurry, flutter, fly, forced draft, full gallop, gallop, get going, get moving, hand gallop, haste, hasten, hasten off, headlong rush, heavy right foot, helter-skelter, hie, high lope, hump, hump it, hurry, hurry away, hurry on, hurry through, hurry up, hurry-scurry, hurtle, hustle, jog trot, leap, light out, lope, lose no time, make haste, make off, maximum speed, move quickly, nip, nip off, open throttle, plunge, post, press on, push on, race, run, rush, rush through, scamper off, scoot, scour, scramble, screw, scud, scurry, scuttle, shoot, skedaddle, skin out, skip, speed, sprint, spurt, step on it, tear, tear off, tear out, trot, whip off, whiz off, wide-open speed
Etymology
First attested in 1687. Origin uncertain, but possibly from Flemish schampeeren < Old French escamper < Italian scampare "to run away"
