The origins of scuttle are as follows.  It begins with the Latin word scutella (dish), which was picked up by the Old Norse skutill, to the Old English skutel (dish, trench, platter), to the Middle English (First recorded in before 1050) scutel or scutelle )dish, fan, winnowing fan), to its present nautical meaning (to cut a hole through the bottom, deck, or side (of a ship) specifically : to sink or attempt to sink by making holes through the bottom. 

The term "scuttlebutt," is another nautical term meaning rumor or gossip.  It originates from the nautical term for a cask of drinking water on a ship, (with "scuttle" meaning a hole and "butt" meaning a large cask or barrel) where sailors would gather and exchange gossip. 

The earliest known use of the word "scuttle" in English, as a noun meaning "a small hatch in a ship's deck," is from the 15th century (1490-1500), potentially derived from the Spanish "escotilla" meaning "hatchway".  The verb "scuttle," meaning to move quickly with short, hasty steps, first appeared in the 16th century (1530s). 

Examples of scuttle in a sentence: 

• I heard the scuttle of rats going across the room.
• A shaft of sunlight blazed through the cabin scuttle,
• Some of the stockholders are threatening to scuttle the deal. 
• Two very small children scuttled away in front of them. 
• Crabs scuttle along the muddy bank.
• Such threats could scuttle the peace conference.
• He personally had received orders from the commander to scuttle the ship.