The noun scamper refers to a sloppy-looking rush, like your quick scamper as you run to catch the bus while wearing a heavy, lop-sided backpack.
The verb scamper describes something that's moving in disorderly haste, often out of fear or excitement. You might notice that chipmunks scamper the instant the dog comes outside. Today the word scamper isn't used very often, which is surprising since most people scamper every day while trying to cope with jam-packed schedules. Scamper was, however, very popular in the late 1800s.
