Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

scofflaw

 - 3 dictionary results

scoff⋅law

  [skawf-law, skof-]
Use scofflaw in a Sentence
–noun
1. a person who flouts the law, esp. one who fails to pay fines owed.
2. a person who flouts rules, conventions, or accepted practices.
Origin:
1920–25; scoff 1 + law 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To scofflaw
scoff·law   (skŏf'lô', skôf'-)   
n.  One who habitually violates the law or fails to answer court summonses.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

scofflaw 
1924, from scoff (q.v.) + law. The winning entry in a national contest during Prohibition to coin a word to characterize a person who drinks illegally, chosen from more than 25,000 entries; the $200 winning prize was split between two contestants who sent in the word separately, Henry Irving Dale and Miss Kate L. Butler. Other similar attempts did not stick, cf. pitilacker (1926), winning entry in Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals contest to establish a scolding word for one who is cruel to animals (submitted by Mrs. M. McIlvaine Bready of Mickleton, N.J.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see scofflaw on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way