scupper

WOTD – 9 September 2009    

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈskʌp.ə/
• (US) IPA: /ˈskʌp.ɚ/
• Rhymes: -ʌpə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From Dutch schcepen (“to draw off”)

Noun

scupper (plural scuppers)

1. (nautical) A drainage hole on the deck of a ship.
2. (architecture) A similar opening in a wall or parapet that allows water to drain from a roof.

Translations

nautical: drainage hole

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 排水口 (cmn)

• Danish: lænseport (da) c, spygat (da) n
• Finnish: valumisaukko (fi), spyygatti (fi), nieluaukko (fi)
• French: dalot (fr) m

• Jèrriais: dalot m
• Russian: шпигат (ru) (špigát) m
• Serbo-Croatian: lakomica (sh) f
• Swedish: spygatt (sv) n

architecture: drainage hole in a wall or parapet

• Finnish: valumisaukko (fi)

• Russian: дренажное отверстие (ru) (otverstije) n

Etymology 2

Of unknown origin.

Verb

scupper (third-person singular simple present scuppers, present participle scuppering, simple past and past participle scuppered)

1. (UK) Thwart or destroy, especially something belonging or pertaining to another; compare scuttle.

   The bad media coverage scuppered his chances of being elected.

   • 2002, Hugo Young, The Guardian (2 Jul):

     "We can't allow US tantrums to scupper global justice."

Translations

thwart, destroy

• Finnish: romuttaa (fi), pilata (fi), tehdä tyhjäksi (fi)

• Russian: губить impf., погубить pf.