While fortunately I haven't heard the word used that much, I had always known skank to mean one who is foul or filthy. My nieces are visiting and tell me it means "slut. When I look it up in the O"ED, the first quote is from 1964 to mean "promiscuous woman." Other definitions, such as "filth" or a rhythmic dance seemed to evolve from that. Does anyone know anything more about this word?

I don't know anything about it other than what you have posted here, but, like your nieces, I have always thought of it as meaning "slut."

Wordmatic

In my neighborhood, a "skank" is the slut who will screw everyone but you.

I guess I am just too clean for my own good. When 9 and 10 year olds know the meaning, and I don't, it's not a good sign!

I think the word may have even popped up in Disney Channel movies like "High School Musical," or similar, but probably with your schedule, you aren't watching too much Disney Channel these days!

WM

We used to have a nightclub in Columbus called Skankland .

I believe it was called Skankland because they generally featured Jamaican music: reggae, ska, skank, etc.

I'd heard the word used to refer to dirty sluts (not just sluts, mind you, but ones particularly dirty-looking, with ragged hair, etc).

Based on the context in which I've heard it, around here it seems to imply a female who's extremely unkempt, regardless of whether she puts out for Proofreader.