scamper

1 of 2

verb

scam·​per ˈskam-pər How to pronounce scamper (audio)
scampered; scampering ˈskam-p(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce scamper (audio)

intransitive verb

: to run nimbly and usually playfully about

scamper

2 of 2

noun

: a playful or hurried run or movement

Examples of scamper in a Sentence

Verb The kids were scampering around the yard. A mouse scampered across the floor.
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.
Verb
Air cargo in and out of China is seeing a brief spike in rates amid tit-for-tat tariff drama as more U.S. businesses scampered to get product out of the country. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 Apr. 2025 Some polite Thai workers were kind of scampering through in the background. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
Spencer Platt / Getty Images Hens that have room to scamper aren’t any more resistant to bird flu than those that don’t. Alexandra Byrne, NBC News, 5 Mar. 2025 The animals—roughly 30,000 in all—groom themselves and their companions, dangle on swings, and scamper about on wooden beams hanging in their pens. Byrefael Kubersky, science.org, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scamper

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from obsolete Dutch schampen to flee, from Middle French escamper, from Italian scampare, from Vulgar Latin *excampare to decamp, from Latin ex- + campus field

First Known Use

Verb

1685, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1697, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scamper was in 1685

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scamper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scamper. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

scamper

verb
scam·​per
ˈskam-pər
scampered; scampering
-p(ə-)riŋ
: to run lightly and usually playfully about
scamper noun

More from Merriam-Webster on scamper

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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