Scuddling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Moving quickly and hurriedly with short, scurrying steps, as small animals or people do when they want to get away
2. Hurrying along in a quick, scampering manner, often with light and rapid movements of the feet
3. Making brisk, scurrying progress, typically in a hasty way that suggests haste or a wish to avoid notice

Etymology: "Scuddling" is the present participle of "scuddle," a verb built from "scud," a word for fast, skimming movement, plus the suffix "-le," which marks repeated or continued action. So "scuddle" describes moving rapidly in a series of quick, busy little rushes, and the "-le" ending makes the motion feel repeated rather than single. The base word "scud" came to describe things driven swiftly along, such as clouds or a flying object skimming over the ground. The verb "scuttle," meaning to hurry, is a close relative, and the two share the same family of lively, hurried motion. Scuddle, with its extra repetition, sits alongside them as a word for scurrying in short, bustling bursts.

Synonyms: scurry, scamper, scuttle, scramble, dash