Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who is associated with petty criminality and who is seen as strongly identified with brand names in music, clothing, sport, vehicles, and so forth.
Origin
According to A Dictionary of Hiberno-English: : "Much of the influence comes from London where the origins of the word 'skanger' can be found. I'm pretty certain this is a collapsed form of the word "scavenger" from a West Indian word used by the Caribbean community in London." Dolan's dictionary gives the West Indian slang word "skanker", meaning an untrustworthy or unreliable person, as a possible source of the word. Originally, in 1980s Dublin, it referred only to women but has become broadened to men in recent years.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
scanger. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scanger
“scanger.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scanger. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scanger,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scanger.
Source: scanger on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.