SCAN'DAL, noun [Latin scandalum; Gr. In Greek, this word signifies a stumbling block, something against which a person impinges, or which causes him to fall.] 1. Offense given by the faults of another. His lustful orgies he enlarg'd even to the hill of scandal [In this sense, we now generally use offense.] 2. Reproachful aspersion; opprobrious censure; defamatory speech or report; something uttered which is false and injurious to reputation. My known virtue is from scandal free. 3. Shame; reproach; disgrace. Such is the perverted state of the human mind that some of the most heinous crimes bring little scandal upon the offender. SCAN'DAL, verb transitive 1. To treat opprobriously; to defame; to asperse; to traduce; to blacken character. I do fawn on men, and hug them hard, and after scandal them. [Little used.] 2. To scandalize; to offend. [Not used.]
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI