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An American Dictionary of the English Language

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

  1. Scowl'ing-ly, adv.p. 1183In a scowling manner; with a wrinkled, frowning aspect; with a sullen look.
  2. Scrab'bed Eggsp. 1183A lenten dish, composed of eggs boiled hard, chopped, and mixed with a seasoning of butter, salt, and pepper. Halliwell.
  3. Scrăb'ble, v. t.p. 1183To scrape, paw, or scratch with the hands; to claw along on the hands and knees; to scramble; as, to scrabble up a cliff or a tree. [Prov. Eng. Collog. U. S.] 2. To make irregular, crooked, or…
  4. Scrāb'ble, v. t.p. 1183To mark with irregular lines or letters; as, to scrabble paper.
  5. Scrab'ble, n.p. 1183The act of scrabbling; a moving upon the hands and knees; a scramble.
  6. Scräf'fle, v. i.p. 1183To scramble or struggle. Halliwell. 2. To be industrious. Brockett. 3. To shuffle; to use evasion. Grose.
  7. Scrāg, n.p. 1183Something thin or lean with roughness; a raw-boned piece; especially, a neck piece of meat; as, a scrag of mutton; hence, humorously or in contempt, the neck. 2. A raw-boned person. [Vulgar.]…
  8. Scrāg'ged, a.p. 1183Rough with irregular points, or a broken surface; scraggy; as, a scragged back-bone. 2. Lean with roughness.
  9. Scrāg'ged-ness, n.p. 1183The state or quality of being scragged; leanness, or leanness with roughness; ruggedness; roughness occasioned by broken, irregular points.
  10. Scrāg'gi-ly, adv.p. 1183In a scraggy manner.
  11. Scrăg'gi-ness, n.p. 1183The state or quality of being scraggy; roughness; ruggedness.
  12. Scrāg'gy, a.p. 1183Rough with irregular points; scragged. “A scraggy rock.” Philips. 2. Lean and rough. “His sinewy, scraggy neck.” W. Scott.
  13. Scrăg'-nĕcked, a.p. 1183Having a long, thin neck.
  14. Scrăm'ble, v. i.p. 1183To go on all-fours; to clamber with hands and knees; to scrabble; as, to scramble up a cliff. 2. To struggle with others for something thrown upon the ground; to go down upon all-fours to seize…
  15. Scrăm'ble, v. t.p. 1183To mix and cook in a confused mass; as, to scramble eggs.
  16. Scram'ble, n.p. 1183The act of scrambling, climbing on all-fours, or clambering. 2. The act of jostling and pushing for something desired; low and unceremonious struggle for what is thrown or held out. The scarcity of…
  17. Scrăm'bler, n.p. 1183One who scrambles; one who climbs on all-fours. 2. A greedy and unceremonious contestant.
  18. Scrăm'bling, p. a.p. 1183Confused and irregular; awkward; scambling. “A huge old scrambling bedroom.” W. Scott.
  19. Scrăm'bling-ly, adv.p. 1183In a scrambling manner; awkwardly; unceremoniously.
  20. Scrânch, v. t.p. 1184To grind with the teeth, and with a crackling sound; to craunch. [Prov. Eng. Colloq. U. S.]
  21. Scrănk'y, a.p. 1184Thin; lean. [Scot.] Prof. Wilson.
  22. Scrān'nel, a.p. 1184Slight; thin; lean; poor; miserable. [Obs.] Grate on their scrannel pipes of wretched straw. Milton.
  23. Scrān'ny, a.p. 1184Thin; lean; meager; scrawny; scrannel. [Prov. Eng.]
  24. Scrāp, n.p. 1184Something scraped off; hence, a small piece; a bit; a fragment; a detached, incomplete portion. I have no materials—not a scrap. De Quincey. 2. Specifically, a fragment of something written or…
  25. Scräp'-bôok, n.p. 1184A blank book in which extracts cut from books and papers may be pasted and kept.
  26. Scrāpe, v. t.p. 1184To rub the surface of with a sharp or rough instrument; to rub over with something that roughens or removes the surface; to grate harshly over; to roughen or remove the surface of by drawing a sharp…
  27. Scrâpe, v. i.p. 1184To rub over the surface of any thing with something which roughens or removes it; to rub harshly and noisily along. 2. Hence, to play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or like instrument. 3.…
  28. Scrāpe, n.p. 1184A rubbing over with something harsh that roughens or removes the surface; hence, the effect produced by rubbing, as of a scraping instrument, of the foot, &c.; as, a noisy scrape on the floor; a…
  29. Scrā'per, n.p. 1184An instrument with which anything is scraped; as, (a.) An instrument by which the soles of shoes, &c., are cleaned from mud and the like, by drawing them across it. (b.) An instrument drawn by oxen…
  30. Scrāp'-fōr'ging, n.p. 1184See SCRAP-IRON.
  31. Scrā'p'ing, n.p. 1184Something scraped off; that which is separated from a substance, or is collected by scraping, raking, or rubbing; as, the scrapings of the street.
  32. Scrāp'ing-ly, adv.p. 1184In a scraping manner; by scraping.
  33. Scrāp'-ī/ron, n.p. 1184Waste cuttings and pieces of wrought iron;—usually called scrap. When piled, heated, and drawn into bars, they form scrap-forgings.
  34. Scrât, v. t.p. 1184To scratch. [Obs.] Burton.
  35. Scrât, v. i.p. 1184To rake; to search. [Obs.]
  36. Scrât, n.p. 1184An hermaphrodite. [Obs.] Skinner.
  37. Scrătch, v. t.p. 1184To rub and tear the surface of with something sharp or ragged; to roughen or wound slightly by a point or points, as by the nails, a pin, or the like. “A sort of small, sand-colored stones, so hard…
  38. Scrătch, v. i.p. 1184To use the claws in tearing or digging. “Dull, tame things, . . . that will neither bite nor scratch.” More.
  39. Scrătch, n.p. 1184A break in the surface of a thing made by scratching, or by rubbing with any thing pointed or ragged; a superficial wound or mark; a slight incision. Heaven forbid a shallow scratch should drive The…
  40. Scratch'-back, n.p. 1184A kind of plaything used at certain English fairs, which, when drawn quickly along the back of a person, makes a sound like that of tearing cloth, as if his coat were torn. Bulwer.
  41. Scrătch'-brŭsh, n.p. 1184A cylindrical bundle of fine steel or brass wires, bound tightly in the center, with the ends projecting on each side, so as to form a stiff brush for scratching and cleaning metals preparatory to…
  42. Scratch'er, n.p. 1184One who, or that which, scratches. 2. A bird which scratches for food, as the common hen and cock.
  43. Scrătch'ing-ly, adv.p. 1184With the action of scratching.
  44. Scrā'tch'-weed, n.p. 1184(Bot.) A plant of the genus Galium; catch-weed; cleavers. See CLEAVERS.
  45. Scràtch'-wig, n.p. 1184A thin, rough wig. Simmonds.
  46. Scraw, n.p. 1184Surface; cut turf. [Obs.] Swift.
  47. Scrawl, v. t.p. 1184To draw or mark awkwardly and irregularly; to write hastily and carelessly; to scratch; to scribble; as, to scrawl a letter. “On the windows of which his name, scrawled by himself, is still read with…
  48. Scrawl, v. i.p. 1184To write unskillfully and inelegantly. “Though with a golden pen you scrawl.” Swift. 2. To creep; to crawl. [Obs.] We will scrape and scrawl, and catch and pull to us all that we may get. Latimer.
  49. Scrawl, n.p. 1184Unskillful or inelegant writing; or a piece of hasty, bad writing. You bid me write no more than a scrawl to you. Gray. 2. A ragged, broken branch of a tree, or other brush-wood; brush. [Local U. S.]…
  50. Scraw'l-er, n.p. 1184One who scrawls; a hasty or awkward writer.
  51. Scraw'ny, a.p. 1184Meager; wasted; raw-boned; scranny.
  52. Serāy, n.p. 1184(Ornith.) A bird of the genus Sterna (S. hirundo); the sea-swallow; the common tern.
  53. Scre'a-ble, a.p. 1184Capable of being spit out. [Obs.] Bailey.
  54. Screak, v. i.p. 1184To utter suddenly a sharp, shrill sound or outcry; to scream; to creak, as a door or wheel. See SCREECH.
  55. Serèak, n.p. 1184A creaking; a screech.
  56. Screām, v. i.p. 1184To cry out with a shrill voice; to utter a sudden, sharp outcry, as in a fright or extreme pain; to shriek. I heard the owl scream. Shak. The fearful matrons raise a screaming cry. Dryden.
  57. Scrēam, n.p. 1184A shriek, or sharp, shrill cry, uttered suddenly, as in terror or in pain; a shriek; a screech.
  58. Screa'mer, n.p. 1184(Ornith.) A South American bird of two species (Palamedea cornuta, and Chauna chavaria), usually ranked with the grallatorial or wading birds; — so called from their loud, shrill cry. P. Cyc.
  59. Scree, n.p. 1184A small stone or pebble. [Prov. Eng.] “Before I had got half way up the screes, which gave way and rattled beneath me at every step.” Southey.
  60. Screech, v. i.p. 1184To cry out with a sharp, rough voice; to utter a harsh, shrill cry, as in terror or acute pain; to scream; to shriek.