skunks

1. 1
   nounUS

   Plural of skunk.

   Skunks spray a foul-smelling liquid when they feel cornered.

   The campers spotted several skunks rummaging near the trash cans.

   Note

   A regular plural whose spelling does double duty: the same form is also the present-tense verb. As a noun it covers more than animals. Calling people skunks is dated, derogatory American slang, so it sounds like an old-fashioned insult. In game scoring, skunks can also be lopsided wins, and double and triple skunks mark still larger margins.

2. 2
   verbUS

   Third-person singular simple present of skunk.

   The champion routinely skunks challengers who underestimate her.

   Their goalie skunks the visiting team whenever the defense holds firm.

   Note

   The present-tense form for he, she or it, and mostly a sports and games word. A side that skunks its rival keeps it from scoring at all, or in some games beats it by thirty points or more. Both uses are American. An intransitive use also exists: something that skunks goes bad or spoils, and in that sense the verb takes no object.

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