skedaddle

Meanings

Verb

• To move or run away quickly.
• To spill; to scatter.

Noun

• The act of running away; a scurrying off.

Origin

• 19th century US - dramatically appearing and gaining prominence in Civil War military contexts around 1861, and rapidly passing into more general use. Possibly an alteration of British dialect scaddle, from the adjective scaddle, from Middle English scathel, skadylle, perhaps of North Germanic/Scandinavian origin, from Old Norse *sköþull; or from Old English *scaþol, *sceaþol (see scathel); akin to Old Norse skaði.
• Possibly related to the Ancient Greek σκέδασις ("scattering"), σκεδασμός. Possibly related to scud or scat.