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scalawag

 - 2 dictionary results

scal⋅a⋅wag

  [skal-uh-wag]
Use scalawag in a Sentence
–noun
1. a scamp; rascal.
2. U.S. History. a native white Southerner who collaborated with the occupying forces during Reconstruction, often for personal gain.
Also, scallywag; especially British, scallawag.

Origin:
1840–50, Americanism; orig. uncert.

Related forms:
scal⋅a⋅wag⋅ger⋅y, noun
scal⋅a⋅wag⋅gy, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To scalawag
scal·a·wag   (skāl'ə-wāg')   
n.  

  1. Informal A reprobate; a rascal.

  2. A white Southerner working for or supporting the federal government during Reconstruction.


[Origin unknown.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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