Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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…Scrāb'ble, v. t. p. 1183To mark with irregular lines or letters; as, to scrabble paper.Scrab'ble, n. p. 1183The act of scrabbling; a moving upon the hands and knees; a scramble.Scräf'fle, v. i. p. 1183To scramble or struggle. Halliwell. 2. To be industrious. Brockett. 3. To shuffle; to use evasion. Grose.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.]…Scrāg'ged, a. p. 1183Rough with irregular points, or a broken surface; scraggy; as, a scragged back-bone. 2. Lean with roughness.Scrāg'ged-ness, n. p. 1183The state or quality of being scragged; leanness, or leanness with roughness; ruggedness; roughness occasioned by broken, irregular points.Scrāg'gi-ly, adv. p. 1183In a scraggy manner.Scrăg'gi-ness, n. p. 1183The state or quality of being scraggy; roughness; ruggedness.Scrāg'gy, a. p. 1183Rough with irregular points; scragged. “A scraggy rock.” Philips. 2. Lean and rough. “His sinewy, scraggy neck.” W. Scott.Scrăg'-nĕcked, a. p. 1183Having a long, thin neck.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…Scrăm'ble, v. t. p. 1183To mix and cook in a confused mass; as, to scramble eggs.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…Scrăm'bler, n. p. 1183One who scrambles; one who climbs on all-fours. 2. A greedy and unceremonious contestant.Scrăm'bling, p. a. p. 1183Confused and irregular; awkward; scambling. “A huge old scrambling bedroom.” W. Scott.Scrăm'bling-ly, adv. p. 1183In a scrambling manner; awkwardly; unceremoniously.Scrânch, v. t. p. 1184To grind with the teeth, and with a crackling sound; to craunch. [Prov. Eng. Colloq. U. S.]Scrănk'y, a. p. 1184Thin; lean. [Scot.] Prof. Wilson.Scrān'nel, a. p. 1184Slight; thin; lean; poor; miserable. [Obs.] Grate on their scrannel pipes of wretched straw. Milton.Scrān'ny, a. p. 1184Thin; lean; meager; scrawny; scrannel. [Prov. Eng.]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…Scräp'-bôok, n. p. 1184A blank book in which extracts cut from books and papers may be pasted and kept.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…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.…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…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…Scrāp'-fōr'ging, n. p. 1184See SCRAP-IRON.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.Scrāp'ing-ly, adv. p. 1184In a scraping manner; by scraping.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.Scrât, v. t. p. 1184To scratch. [Obs.] Burton.Scrât, v. i. p. 1184To rake; to search. [Obs.]Scrât, n. p. 1184An hermaphrodite. [Obs.] Skinner.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…Scrătch, v. i. p. 1184To use the claws in tearing or digging. “Dull, tame things, . . . that will neither bite nor scratch.” More.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…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.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…Scratch'er, n. p. 1184One who, or that which, scratches. 2. A bird which scratches for food, as the common hen and cock.Scrătch'ing-ly, adv. p. 1184With the action of scratching.Scrā'tch'-weed, n. p. 1184(Bot.) A plant of the genus Galium; catch-weed; cleavers. See CLEAVERS.Scràtch'-wig, n. p. 1184A thin, rough wig. Simmonds.Scraw, n. p. 1184Surface; cut turf. [Obs.] Swift.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…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.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.]…Scraw'l-er, n. p. 1184One who scrawls; a hasty or awkward writer.Scraw'ny, a. p. 1184Meager; wasted; raw-boned; scranny.Serāy, n. p. 1184(Ornith.) A bird of the genus Sterna (S. hirundo); the sea-swallow; the common tern.Scre'a-ble, a. p. 1184Capable of being spit out. [Obs.] Bailey.Screak, v. i. p. 1184To utter suddenly a sharp, shrill sound or outcry; to scream; to creak, as a door or wheel. See SCREECH.Serèak, n. p. 1184A creaking; a screech.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.Scrēam, n. p. 1184A shriek, or sharp, shrill cry, uttered suddenly, as in terror or in pain; a shriek; a screech.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.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.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.Screech, n. p. 1184A harsh, shrill cry, uttered in acute pain, or in a sudden fright. 2. A harsh, shrill cry, as of a fowl.Screech'-owl, n. p. 1184An owl that utters a harsh, disagreeable cry at night.