1243
scurrilous
order to clean, e.g. with a stiff brush: You'll have to scrub
hard to get that stain out/to scrub hard at that stain to get it
out. 1 He scrubbed the floor (clean). 2 [T] infml to remove from
consideration or from a list; no longer do or have; CANCEL:
We've had to scrub our plans to go abroad this year; we've got
no money. ➔ see CLEAN (USAGE)
scrub up phr v [I] (of a doctor) to wash one's hands and
arms before doing an operation
scrub² n [S] an act of scrubbing: Give that dirt/that floor a
good hard scrub.
scrub³ n [U] low-growing plants including bushes and short
trees growing in poor soil and usually forming a thick
covering over the ground ➔ see also SCRUBBY
scrub-ber¹ /'skrʌbə/ n AmE a hand-held plastic or wire
mass used for cleaning pots and pans
scrubber² n BrE derog slang 1 a woman who has sex with
many partners 2 a female PROSTITUTE
scrubbing brush especially BrE || usually 'scrub brush AmE
— n a stiff brush for heavy cleaning jobs, like scrubbing
floors ➔ see picture at BRUSH
scrub-by /'skrʌbi/ adj 1 covered by, made of, or like
SCRUB 2 infml derog of small size or importance
Scrubs, The /skrʌbz/ an informal name for WORMWOOD
SCRUBS prison
scruff¹ /skrʌf/ n the scruff of the neck the flesh at the back
of the neck: He caught/grabbed/took him by the scruff of the
neck and threw him out.
scruff² n BrE infml a dirty and untidy person
scruf-fy /'skrʌfi/ adj dirty and untidy: The hotel looked rather
scruffy so we decided not to stay there. | What a scruffy little
boy!
scrum /skrʌm/ also scrummage fml — n 1 (in RUGBY) a
group formed by the front players of both teams pushing
against each other with their heads down and shoulders
together, to try to get the ball which is thrown on the
ground between them 2 BrE infml (the forming of) a disorderly
struggling crowd: There was the usual scrum for tickets.
crum-half /,skrʌm'hɑ:f||-'hæf/ n (in RUGBY) a player whose
job is to put the ball into the scrum
crum-mage /'skrʌmɪdʒ/ v, n [I] (in RUGBY) (to take part in)
a scrum
crump /krʌmp/ v [T] BrE infml to steal fruit (especially
apples) from the trees it is growing on
crump-tious /'skrʌmpʃəs/ adj infml (especially of food)
extremely good; DELICIOUS
crum-py /'skrʌmpi/ n [U] a strong kind of CIDER (=an
alcoholic apple drink) of SW England
crunch /krʌntʃ/ v infml 1 [T(UP)] to press and twist into a
ball in the hand; CRUMPLE: He scrunched up the envelope and
threw it away. 2 [I] to make the sound of being crushed
together: The gravel scrunched under our feet as we walked
up the path.
crunch-y, scrunchie /'skrʌntʃi/ n pl. scrunchies a small
circular piece of elastic covered loosely with cloth, which is
used for holding hair together in a PONYTAIL
cru-ple¹ /'skru:pəl/ n 1 [C usually pl.] a moral principle
which keeps one from doing something; a doubt about the
rightness of an action: He has absolutely no scruples; he'll do
anything to get what he wants. 2 [U usually in negatives] the
desire to do what is right; conscience: If it was the only way
to get my son set free, I would act completely without scruple.
(=willingly do something bad or immoral)
cruple² v [I+to-v; usually in negatives] to be unwilling to do
something because one thinks it is wrong: He wouldn't
scruple to charge you double its value if he thought you'd pay.
cru-pu-lous /'skru:pjʊləs/ adj 1 fml correct even in the
smallest detail; exact: You must take the most scrupulous care
to keep the wound free from dirt. 2 approx carefully doing only
what is right; exactly honest: A less scrupulous man wouldn't
have given the money back. ➔ opposite UNSCRUPULOUS
—ly adv: scrupulously clean/fair —ness n [U]
cru-ti-neer /,skru:tɪ'nɪə/ n BrE an official examiner or
counter of votes in an election
cru-ti-nize also -nise BrE /'skru:tɪnaɪz/ v [T] to examine
very closely and carefully: The customs officer scrutinized his
face for any signs of nervousness.
scru-ti-ny /'skru:tɪni/ n [U] a close study or look; careful
and thorough examination: A minister's actions come under/
are subjected to minute/continuous scrutiny in the press.
SCSI /'skʌzi/ abbrev. for small computer systems interface;
something that helps a small computer work with another
piece of electronic equipment, such as a PRINTER, especially
when they are connected by wires: a SCSI port
scu-ba /'sku:bə/ n an instrument used for breathing while
swimming under water, consisting of a container of air
fastened to the back and connected by a rubber pipe to the
mouth: scuba diving
scud /skʌd/ v -dd- [+adv/prep] lit (especially of clouds and
ships) to move along quickly
Scud a type of MISSILE (=a large weapon that can fly long
distances, and that explodes when it hits its TARGET) that
was developed in the former Soviet Union. It can be fired
from land or from a ship, and can carry either a regular
WARHEAD (=the explosive part at the front) or a NUCLEAR
warhead. Scud missiles were used by Iraq during the Gulf
War.
scuff¹ /skʌf/ v [(UP)] 1 [T] to make a rough mark or marks on
the smooth surface of (shoes, furniture, a floor etc): The floor
was badly scuffed (up) where they had been dancing. 2 [I] (of
shoes, floors etc) to be damaged in this way
scuff² also scuff-mark /'skʌfmɑ:k||-mɑ:rk/ n a mark made
by scuffing
scuf-fle /'skʌfəl/ n a disorderly fight among a few people,
usually not serious or long: A few isolated scuffles broke out
when police tried to move the demonstrators. —scuffle v
[I(with)]
scull /skʌl/ v [I;T] to row (a small light boat, especially for
one person) —er n
scul-le-ry /'skʌləri/ n a room next to the kitchen, especially
in a large or old house, for rough cleaning jobs such as
washing dishes and pots
scul-lion /'skʌljən/ n old use a boy doing cleaning work in a
kitchen
Scul-ly, Da-na /'skʌli, 'deɪnə/ the main female character in
the US television programme The X FILES, who is an AGENT for
the FBI
sculp-tor /'skʌlptə/ n someone who makes sculptures
sculp-tur-al /'skʌlptʃərəl/ adj of or looking like sculpture
sculp-ture¹ /'skʌlptʃə/ n. 1 [U] the art of shaping solid
representations of people, animals, or objects out of stone,
wood, clay, metal etc: She studied sculpture at art school. | the
sculpture class 2 [C;U] (a piece of) work produced by this art:
There are some interesting abstract sculptures in this gallery.
➔ compare STATUE
sculpture² also sculpt /skʌlpt/ v [T] 1 to make by shaping:
sculptured pillars | (fig.) The water had sculptured the rocks
into strange shapes. 2 to make a figure of (a person or thing)
in sculpture: a Greek god sculptured in marble ➔ compare
CARVE
scum /skʌm/ n 1 [S;U] a covering of usually unpleasant
material that forms on the surface of liquid: When the meat
is boiling, remove the scum. 2 [P] derog worthless immoral
people: These scum who fight at football matches must be
severely dealt with. | They are the scum of the earth. (=the
worst people in the world) 3 derog (used when speaking to a
worthless immoral person) —my adj
scum-bag /'skʌmbæg/ n spoken an unpleasant person that
you do not like, trust, or respect: What a scumbag!
scup-per¹ /'skʌpə/ v [T] BrE 1 to sink (one's own ship)
intentionally 2 [usually pass.] infml to wreck or ruin (a plan,
chance etc)
scupper² n [usually pl.] an opening in the side of a ship at the
level of the DECK (=upper floor) to allow water to run off it
into the sea
scurf /skɜ:f||skɜ:rf/ n [U] small dry loose bits of dead skin,
especially in the hair —y adj
scur-ril-i-ty /skə'rɪləti, skʌ-/ n [U] fml scurrilousness or
scurrilous language
scur-ri-lous /'skʌrɪləs||'skɜ:r-/ adj fml making or containing