squammy

== English == === Alternative forms === skwammy (Philippines, slang) === Etymology === From squamous +‎ -y, where -ous was elided to extract the root. The reduplicated ⟨m⟩ is akin to runny, brimmy, etc. The Philippine slang sense is a semantic loan from Tagalog iskuwater, itself from Philippine English squatter (“poor vagrant; illegal informal settler”) due to resemblance of the first syllable. Compare Tagalog iskuwami. === Pronunciation === (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈskweɪm.mi/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈskwɑːm.mi/ (Philippines) IPA(key): /ˈskwaːm.mi/ Rhymes: -eɪmi, -ɑmmi === Adjective === squammy (comparative squammier, superlative squammiest) (dated) Synonym of squamous (“Covered with, made of, or resembling scales; scaly.”). Synonyms: squamous, squamose, squamulose; see also Thesaurus:scaly Antonyms: esquamulose, scaleless (Philippines, colloquial, slang) trashy; classless; unrefined; crass; uncultured; vulgar; uncouth (lacking refinement)