tr.v. scup·pered, scup·per·ing, scup·pers 1. To sink (a ship) deliberately; scuttle. 2. To thwart or ruin: scupper a business deal. 3. Chiefly British To overwhelm or massacre. [Originally British military slang, to massacre, of unknown origin (probably later influenced by SCUTTLE1).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.