scuttle verb (RUN)
to move quickly, with small, short steps, especially in order to escape: A crab scuttled away under a rock as we passed.
Where does the word scuttled come from?
"cut a hole in a ship to sink it," 1640s, from skottell (n.) "opening in a ship's deck" (late 15c.), from French escoutille (Modern French écoutille) or directly from Spanish escotilla "hatchway," diminutive of escota "opening in a garment," from escotar "cut out," perhaps from e- "out" (see ex-) + Germanic *skaut-.
What does scuttled off mean?
intransitive to run somewhere with short quick steps. scuttle across/off/back etc: He scuttled off to get a drink.
