Scudding

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Gliding quickly and lightly across a surface or through the air while being propelled by the wind or natural forces represents the essence of a rapid movement
2. The act of swiftly moving over a surface or through the atmosphere, often involving the influence of wind, indicating both speed and lightness in motion
3. Moving rapidly across a surface, especially when propelled by wind or natural forces

Etymology: "Scudding" is the present participle of "scud," which first appears in writing in 1530 and is of uncertain origin. Two suggestions have been made. One links it to Middle English "scut," meaning a rabbit or its short, white tail, which would fit the picture of something darting away quickly. The other links it to Middle Dutch "schudden," meaning to shake, which in turn may come from a Scandinavian source. Neither can be confirmed, so the word's ancestry remains a genuine puzzle. What is clear is the sense it developed: to move swiftly and lightly, especially over a surface or through the air. The image is of clouds, sails or ships running before a wind, skimming along rather than pushing forward. That sense of rapid, low-slung motion is the thread running through its use from the sixteenth century onward.

Synonyms: darting, skimming, gliding, sprinting, sailing

Antonyms: lingering, staying, remaining, loitering, dawdling