Scuds

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To move quickly and lightly through the air
2. To be carried swiftly by the wind, particularly in a horizontal direction
3. Describing the action of clouds or objects darting or gliding rapidly across the sky

Etymology: "Scuds" is the plural form of "scud," so its history is that of the noun. The noun first appears in writing in 1530, and its origin is uncertain. One possibility is a link to Middle English "scut," meaning a rabbit or a rabbit's tail, which would fit the idea of something small and quick darting along. Another is Middle Dutch "schudden," meaning to shake, and both candidates trace back to a Scandinavian source. The sense of rapid, wind-driven movement fits either explanation, and the word is best known from its use for low, fast-moving clouds driven across the sky. Because the origin is unsettled, the connection between the sense of quick movement and either proposed ancestor remains a matter of informed guesswork rather than established fact.