skunk

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
skunk/skʌŋk/

▶noun

• 1 a black-and-white striped American mammal of the weasel family, able to spray foul-smelling irritant liquid from its anal glands at attackers. [Mephitis mephitis and other species.]

• 2 informal a contemptible person.

• 3 informal short for skunkweed.

▶verb N. Amer. informal defeat or get the better of, especially by an overwhelming margin.

– origin C17: from Abnaki segankw.