scourge
1240
scourge² v [T] 1 to beat with a whip 2 to cause great harm or suffering to; AFFLICT: a country scourged by disease and war
Scouse, scouse /skaʊs/ n BrE infml, sometimes derog 1 [C] also Scouser someone who comes from the area round Liverpool in northwest England 2 [U] the way of speaking of someone from this area 3 [U] a type of STEW —Scouse [adj]
Scous·er /'skaʊsər/ n infml someone from Liverpool
scout¹ /skaʊt/ n 1 [C(often cap.)] a) also boy scout — a member of an association (the Scouts or the Boy Scouts of America) for training boys in various useful skills such as lighting a fire, and for developing their character. Scouts traditionally carry a PENKNIFE and their MOTTO is 'Be Prepared.' b) also girl scout AmE ➔ GUIDE ➔ see also SCOUT'S HONOUR 2 [C] a soldier sent out to search the land ahead of an army, especially for information about the enemy 3 [S(AROUND, ROUND)] infml an act of scouting: Take a scout round to see what you can find. 4 [C] also talent scout — a person who is employed to find and hire young people of special ability, especially for a sports team or for a place of entertainment
scout² v 1 [I+adv/prep] to go looking for something: We scouted around for a shop that was open late. 2 [T(OUT, for)] to go through or look carefully at (a place) to get information about it: The commander sent a party to scout the area.
'Scout Association, the the British organization that controls the BOY SCOUTS ➔ see also GUIDE¹
scout·ing /'skaʊtɪŋ/ n [U] (often cap.) the activities of SCOUTS
scout·mas·ter /'skaʊtˌmɑstər || -ˌmæ-/ n an adult leader of a group of SCOUTS
'Venture ,Scout a part of the British SCOUT ASSOCIATION for young men and women from 18 to 25 years old ➔ see also EXPLORER SCOUTS, THE
,scout's 'honour humor a phrase used when you are trying to persuade someone that you are telling the truth: Look, it wasn't me that took it, scout's honour!
scowl¹ /skaʊl/ n a threatening expression of the face showing anger or strong disapproval; angry FROWN
scowl² v [I(at)] to make a scowl; FROWN angrily: He scowled heavily.
scrab·ble /'skræbəl/ v [I(ABOUT)] infml to move (one's fingers) wildly and quickly (as if looking for something: She scrabbled about on the floor picking up the coins she'd dropped.
Scrabble trademark a game in which players try to make words from the separate letters they have
scrag¹ /skræg/ v -gg- [T] infml to attack roughly and angrily
scrag² also ,scrag 'end n [U] BrE the bony part of a sheep's neck, used usually for boiling to make STEW or soup; one of the cheaper types of meat
scrag·gly /'skrægəli/ adj AmE infml (especially of things that grow) poor and uneven-looking; badly grown
scrag·gy /'skrægi/ adj infml derog, often humor thin and bony: You don't expect that scraggy old horse to win, do you?
scram /skræm/ v -mm- [I often imperative] infml to get away fast; run away: You're not wanted here, so scram. | Let's scram!
scram·ble¹ /'skræmbəl/ v 1 [I+adv/prep] to move or climb quickly, especially over a rough or steep surface: I scrambled up the cliff/over the rocks for a better look at the sea. 2 [I+adv/prep, especially for] to struggle or compete with others eagerly or against difficulty: People were scrambling madly for shelter/scrambling to get out of the way. 3 [T] to change the order of the signals in (a radio or telephone message) with a machine (a scrambler) so that it cannot be understood without being received on a special instrument 4 [T(UP)] to mix (especially words or things on a flat surface) together without order; JUMBLE 5 [I] (of a military aircraft) to take off quickly, e.g. because of a sudden enemy attack
scramble² n 1 [S] an act of moving or climbing, especially over a rough surface: It's quite a scramble to get to the top of the hill! 2 [S(for)] an eager and disorderly struggle: a mad scramble for the best seats/jobs 3 [C] a motorcycle race over very rough ground
,scrambled 'egg also scrambled eggs n [U] eggs prepared by mixing the white and the yellow parts together before cooking
scrap¹ /skræp/ n 1 [C(of)] a small piece; bit: a scrap of paper | scraps of news | (fig.) There's not a scrap of truth in what he says. 2 [U] material which cannot be used for its original purpose but which may have some value: He sold his car for scrap/for its scrap value. (=as metal to be used again) | a scrap-metal dealer ➔ see also SCRAPS, SCRAP PAPER, SCRAPPY
scrap² v -pp- [T] 1 to get rid of as no longer useful or wanted: The government has scrapped its plans for earnings-related pensions. 2 to make into SCRAP: The navy's biggest aircraft carrier is being scrapped.
scrap³ n infml a usually sudden, short, noisy but not serious fight or quarrel between a few people: The boys are always getting into scraps. ➔ see also SCRAPPY
scrap⁴ v -pp- [I] infml to fight or quarrel: dogs scrapping over a bone
scrap·book /'skræpbʊk/ n a book of empty pages in which a collection of photographs, newspaper articles etc, is fastened. They are often made up by children or people with a special interest and may follow a particular subject e.g. one's favourite singer/sport etc or simply be a collection of things one has seen or read and liked.
scrape¹ /skreɪp/ v 1 [T+obj+adv/prep] to remove (unwanted material) from a surface by pulling or pushing an edge firmly across it repeatedly: I scraped the mud from my boots. | I scraped the skin off the potatoes. 2 [T(DOWN)] to clean or make (a surface) smooth in this way: She scraped the door (down) before painting it again. | He scraped his boots clean before coming into the house. 3 [I+adv/prep; T (on, against)] to (cause to) rub roughly against a surface: The old car drove off with its exhaust pipe scraping along the ground. | He scraped his chair against the wall. | She scraped her fingernail down the wallpaper to see if it would tear. 4 [T] to hurt or damage in this way: He scraped his knee when he fell/scraped his car when he drove through the narrow gate. 5 [T(OUT)] to make (a hole or hollow place) by scraping 6 [I+adv / prep] a) to live, keep a business etc, with no more than the necessary money: We don't earn much, but we manage to scrape by/along somehow. b) to succeed by doing work of the lowest acceptable quality: She just scraped through the exam (=passed it by one or two marks) 7 scrape a living to get just enough food or money to stay alive 8 scrape the (bottom of the) barrel infml to take, use, suggest etc, something of the lowest quality: Is he the best speaker they could get for the meeting? They're really scraping the bottom of the barrel! ➔ see also bow and scrape (BOW)
scrape sthg. ⇔ up/together also scratch up/together AmE phr v [T] to gather (a total, especially of money) with difficulty by putting small amounts together: We scraped up enough to pay the deposit.
scrape² n 1 an act or sound of scraping 2 a mark or wound made by scraping: They just suffered a few cuts and scrapes — nothing serious. 3 infml an unpleasant, but not very serious situation or difficulty: She gets into these silly scrapes because she doesn't think before she acts.
scrap·er /'skreɪpər/ n a tool for scraping: a paint scraper
'scrap heap n 1 [C] a pile of waste material, especially metal 2 [the] infml a place for unwanted things, people, ideas: Suddenly I lost my job; it was a great shock to be on the scrapheap at 50. | We can now put this whole affair on the scrapheap of history. (=we can forget about it)
scra·pie /'skreɪpi/ n [U] a disease of sheep and goats, caused by a VIRUS that usually kills them
scrap·ings /'skreɪpɪŋz/ n [P] things (to be) scraped from a surface: scrapings taken from the paint for chemical tests
'scrap ,paper especially BrE || usually scratch paper AmE — [U] paper, especially in single sheets already used on one side, which may be used instead of more expensive paper for unimportant notes, shopping lists etc
scrap·ple /'skræpəl/ n [U] AmE a dish made from meat and CORNMEAL
scrap·py¹ /'skræpi/ adj derog made of disconnected pieces; not well arranged or planned: a scrappy, badly-written report
scrappy² adj AmE infml 1 liking to fight 2 determined; GUTSY
scraps /skræps/ n [P] pieces of food not eaten at a meal, and thrown away: We feed the kitchen scraps to the pigs. compare LEFTOVERS