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skullduggery

 - 5 dictionary results

skull⋅dug⋅ger⋅y

[skuhl-duhg-uh-ree]
–noun, plural -ger⋅ies.
skulduggery.

skul⋅dug⋅ger⋅y

[skuhl-duhg-uh-ree]
–noun, plural -ger⋅ies.
1. dishonorable proceedings; mean dishonesty or trickery: bribery, graft, and other such skulduggery.
2. an instance of dishonest or deceitful behavior; trick.
Also, skullduggery, sculduggery, scullduggery.


Origin:
1705–15, Americanism; var. of sculduddery, orig. Scots: fornication, obscenity < ?
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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skull·dug·ger·y or skul·dug·ger·y   (skŭl-dŭg'ə-rē)   
n.   pl. skull·dug·ger·ies or skul·dug·ger·ries
Crafty deception or trickery or an instance of it.

[Probably alteration of Scots sculduddery, obscenity, fornication.]
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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Slang Dictionary
skullduggery [ˈskəlˈdəgɚi]

  1. n.
    deceitful doings; dirty work. : Without skullduggery, politics wouldn't be interesting.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

skulduggery 
1856, apparently an alteration of Scottish sculdudrie "adultery" (1713), sculduddery "bawdry, obscenity" (1821), a euphemism of uncertain origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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