skunk: Meaning and Definition of

skunk

Pronunciation: (skungk), [key]
— n., pl. v. skunks, skunk,
—n.
  1. a small North American mammal, Mephitis mephitis, of the weasel family, having a black coat with a white,-shaped stripe on the back, and ejecting a fetid odor when alarmed or attacked.
  2. any of several related or similar animals. Cf.
  3. a thoroughly contemptible person.
  4. an unidentified ship or target.
—v.t.
  1. to defeat thoroughly in a game, esp. while keeping an opponent from scoring: The team skunked the favorites in the crucial game.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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