1. American musteline mammal typically ejecting an intensely malodorous fluid when startled; in some classifications put in a separate subfamily Mephitinae
   "The campers quickly learned to avoid startling the wood pussy, also known as a skunk";
   - polecat [N. Amer], wood pussy [N. Amer]
    
2. [informal] A person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
   "only a skunk would do that";
   - rotter [Brit, informal], dirty dog [informal], rat [informal], stinker [informal], stinkpot [N. Amer, informal], bum [N. Amer, informal], crumb [N. Amer, informal], lowlife [informal], so-and-so [informal], git [Brit, informal], scumbag [informal], swine [informal], scuzz [N. Amer, informal], sod [Brit, informal], sleazeball [informal], scuzzbucket [N. Amer, informal], sleazebag [informal], scuzzball [N. Amer, informal], sleazebucket [informal], slimebag [informal], slimeball [informal], toad [informal], dirtbag [US, informal], toerag [Brit, informal], scuzzbag [N. Amer, informal], ratbag [Brit, informal]
    
3. A defeat in a game where one side fails to score
   "The team suffered an embarrassing skunk in the championship match";
   - shutout
    
4. [slang] A street name for marijuana
   "Teens were caught smoking skunk behind the school";
   - pot [slang], grass [slang], green goddess [slang], dope [slang], weed [slang], gage [slang], sess [slang], sens [slang], smoke [slang], locoweed [N. Amer, slang], Mary Jane [slang], bud [N. Amer, slang]

1. (card game) defeat by a lurch
   "He skunked his opponent in cribbage, winning by more than 31 points";
   - lurch

Derived forms: skunked, skunking, skunks

Type of: cannabis, dagga [S.Africa], defeat, disagreeable person, ganja, get the better of, kef, kif, marihuana, marijuana, mustelid, musteline, musteline mammal, overcome, unpleasant person

Encyclopedia: Skunk