# skunk

Pronunciation: US say "SKUNK" /skʌŋk/; AUS say "SKUNGK" /skʌŋk/

## Noun

1. A small North American mammal with glossy black-and-white fur and glands near its tail that release a foul-smelling spray for defense. *(US)*
   - Simple: A small black-and-white animal that sprays a strong, bad smell to protect itself.
   - _The skunk raised its tail and sprayed the curious dog._
   - _Skunks forage for insects and grubs after dark._
3. A lopsided victory in a sport or board game in which the losing side fails to score. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: A one-sided win in a game where the losing side scores nothing at all.
   - _The chess club's final round was a complete skunk._
   - _Few expected such a one-sided skunk in the championship game._
4. A potent strain of cannabis, bred from hybrids of Cannabis sativa and indica, with THC levels that can exceed those of typical hashish. *(US)*
   - Simple: A very strong kind of marijuana made by crossing two cannabis plants.
   - _Police seized a large quantity of skunk during the raid._
   - _Modern skunk is far more potent than the cannabis of decades past._
5. Clipping of skunkweed. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: A short way of saying skunkweed: a kind of marijuana with a very strong smell.
   - _The joint was rolled with skunk so pungent that it filled the whole car._
   - _Dealers on that corner mostly sold skunk._
7. In the game of cribbage, a win in which the opponent finishes thirty or more points behind. *(US)*
   - Simple: In cribbage, a win where you beat the other player by thirty or more points.
   - _She finished with a skunk, leaving her rival far behind._
   - _A skunk in the final hand sealed the match._
9. A member of a subculture that combines the skinhead and punk movements into a single hybrid scene. *(US)*
   - Simple: A person in a group that mixes skinhead and punk culture.
   - _He drifted from the punk crowd toward the skinheads and ended up a skunk, half one and half the other._
   - _Skunks and skinheads sometimes shared the same venues on the city's hardcore circuit._

## Verb

2. To defeat an opponent so thoroughly that they fail to score any points. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: To beat another team so completely that they score no points at all.
   - _If they keep this pace, they could skunk the visitors entirely._
   - _The home side skunked their rivals, allowing not a single point._
6. To go bad or spoil, especially by developing a foul smell. *(US)*
   - Simple: To turn bad and no longer be good to use.
   - _Open beer can skunk within hours if exposed to light._
   - _The stew began to skunk after a week in the fridge._
8. In cribbage, to defeat an opponent by a margin of thirty or more points. *(US)*
   - Simple: In cribbage, to beat your opponent by thirty or more points.
   - _A sharp player can skunk a beginner without much effort._
   - _He skunked his grandfather and crowed about it for days._

## Noun

10. A thoroughly despicable and contemptible person. *(dated, US)*
   - Simple: A mean, nasty person whom others strongly dislike.
   - _The landlord was a skunk who evicted families in winter._
   - _Everyone in town knew him as a lying skunk._
11. Anything regarded as very bad or worthless; a stinker. *(dated, US)*
   - Simple: Something that is really bad or of very poor quality.
   - _Critics agreed the sequel was a skunk from start to finish._
   - _His first business venture was a financial skunk._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–3, 6–8, 10–11** — From an unattested Southern New England Algonquian word, related to Abenaki segôgw, segonku ("he who squirts musk / urinates"), from Proto-Algonquian *šeka·kwa, from a root *šek- meaning "to urinate." It is a doublet of Chicago.
**Meaning 9** — A blend of skinhead and punk, influenced by the animal sense (Etymology 1).
**Meanings 4–5** — From skunkweed ("certain highly aromatic marijuana").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/skunk (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).