scaramouche

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proper noun

A roguish clown character from the 16th-century Italian commedia dell'arte.

OriginFrench Scaramouche ← Italian scaramuccia →
UncommonScrabble 20
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Meanings

scaramouche1

nounscaramouche (plural scaramouches)

plural scaramouches

  1. alternativeAlternative form of scaramouch

Scaramouche2

proper noun
  1. A roguish clown character from the 16th-century Italian commedia dell'arte.
nounScaramouche (plural Scaramouches)

plural Scaramouches

  1. obsoleteslangA tumbler; an acrobat.
  2. obsoleteslangA disreputable fellow; a scoundrel.

Origin

  1. Italianscaramuccia“skirmish”
  2. FrenchScaramouche
  3. EnglishScaramouche

From French Scaramouche, a character popularized in France by Tiberio Fiorilli. From Italian scaramuccia (“skirmish”). Doublet of escarmouche, Scaramucci, and skirmish.

More words from French, Italian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French Scaramouche
  • ScaramoucheTranslations
Russian Скараму́ш
  • Скараму́ш (Skaramúš)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

scaramouche. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scaramouche

MLA

“scaramouche.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scaramouche. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scaramouche,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scaramouche.

Source: scaramouche on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.