Word of the Day Archive
Wednesday September 8, 2004
skulduggery \skul-DUG-uh-ree\
, noun;
also skullduggery:
Devious, dishonest, or unscrupulous behavior or activity; also: an instance thereof.
And then the inquests, and the coroner's reports, and the hints of diplomatic cover-ups, and skulduggery in high places.
-- Hilary Mantel, Eight Months on Ghazzah Street
Laptop theft was the third most common electronic skulduggery, behind viruses (84 percent) and unauthorized employee use of computers and software (78 percent), according to the survey by the Computer Security Institute in San Francisco.
-- Michael Cooper, "Low Tech Joins the Fight Against High-Tech Theft", New York Times, April 23, 1998
For instance, the Federal Trade Commission already goes after some kindsof Internet skulduggery, like selling products that promise more than they deliver.
-- David Stout, "New Internet Anti-Fraud Center Announced by Attorney General", New York Times, May 8, 2000
The origin of skulduggery is unknown.
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for skulduggery
