scarper

verb

scar·​per ˈskär-pər How to pronounce scarper (audio)
scarpered; scarpering; scarpers

intransitive verb

British
: flee, run away
broadly : leave, depart

Examples of scarper in a Sentence

I went looking for Sally at the pub, but she'd scarpered.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Taylor Tomlinson will host After Midnight, the show that is replacing The Late Late Show now that James Corden has scarpered off to old Blighty. Vulture, 1 Nov. 2023 Idrissa Gueye has scarpered, but that void was instantly filled by Mainz midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin - while Moise Kean, goodness knows how, has signed from Juventus to sharpen things up front. SI.com, 5 Aug. 2019 Ms Collett compares it to the muggy period before a thunderstorm, when the squirrels have scarpered and the air is pregnant with foreboding of trouble ahead. The Economist, 21 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

probably ultimately from Italian scappare, from Vulgar Latin *excappare — more at escape

First Known Use

circa 1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarper was circa 1846

Dictionary Entries Near scarper

Cite this Entry

“Scarper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarper. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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