-skunk-

n. [ Contr. from the Abenaki (American Indian) seganku. ] (Zool.) Any one of several species of American musteline carnivores of the genus Mephitis and allied genera. They have two glands near the anus, secreting an extremely fetid liquid, which the animal ejects at pleasure as a means of defense. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common species of the Eastern United States (Mephitis mephitica) is black with more or less white on the body and tail. The spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius), native of the Southwestern United States and Mexico, is smaller than the common skunk, and is variously marked with black and white. [ 1913 Webster ]

Skunk bird,
Skunk blackbird (Zool.), the bobolink; -- so called because the male, in the breeding season, is black and white, like a skunk. --
Skunk cabbage (Bot.), an American aroid herb (Symplocarpus fœtidus) having a reddish hornlike spathe in earliest spring, followed by a cluster of large cabbagelike leaves. It exhales a disagreeable odor. Also called swamp cabbage. --
Skunk porpoise. (Zool.) See under Porpoise. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The surf duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) The surf duck. (b) A duck (Camptolaimus Labradorus) which formerly inhabited the Atlantic coast of New England. It is now supposed to be extinct. Called also Labrador duck, and pied duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like the skunk, especially in odor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The surf duck. [ 1913 Webster ]