Scum
/skʌm/noun
A layer of dirt, foam, or other unpleasant matter floating on a liquid; also, a contemptible person.
Did you know?The word’s oldest sense is literal surface foam or froth, and only later did English turn that image into a moral insult for people seen as the ‘bottom’ of society.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
scum
“foam or froth on a liquid”
Middle English
ME
scum
“foam, scum, dross, refuse”
15th Century
English
scum
“the foul matter floating on top of a liquid; refuse”
16th Century
English
scum
“a contemptible or worthless person”
Modern English
English
scum
“a layer of unpleasant matter on a liquid; a despicable person or group”