Lexic.us

Definition of Scratch

1. Noun. An abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off.

2. Verb. Cause friction. "My sweater scratches"

3. Verb. Cut the surface of; wear away the surface of.

4. Noun. A depression scratched or carved into a surface.

5. Verb. Scrape or rub as if to relieve itching. "Don't scratch your insect bites!"

6. Noun. Informal terms for money.

7. Verb. Postpone indefinitely or annul something that was scheduled. "Scratch that meeting--the chair is ill"

8. Noun. A competitor who has withdrawn from competition.

9. Verb. Remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line. "Scratch that remark"

10. Noun. A line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game.

11. Verb. Gather (money or other resources) together over time. "They scratched a meager living"

12. Noun. Dry mash for poultry.

13. Noun. A harsh noise made by scraping. "The scrape of violin bows distracted her"

14. Verb. Carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface. "The lovers scratched their names into the bark of the tree"

15. Noun. Poor handwriting.

16. Noun. (golf) a handicap of zero strokes. "A golfer who plays at scratch should be able to achieve par on a course"

17. Noun. An indication of damage.

Definition of Scratch

1. v. t. To rub and tear or mark the surface of with something sharp or ragged; to scrape, roughen, or wound slightly by drawing something pointed or rough across, as the claws, the nails, a pin, or the like.

2. v. i. To use the claws or nails in tearing or in digging; to make scratches.

3. n. A break in the surface of a thing made by scratching, or by rubbing with anything pointed or rough; a slight wound, mark, furrow, or incision.

4. a. Made, done, or happening by chance; arranged with little or no preparation; determined by circumstances; haphazard; as, a scratch team; a scratch crew for a boat race; a scratch shot in billiards.

5. n. In various sports, the line from which the start is made, except in the case of contestants receiving a distance handicap.

Definition of Scratch

1. Verb. To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc. ¹

2. Verb. To rub the skin with rough material causing a sensation of irritation. ¹

3. Verb. To mark a surface with a sharp object, thereby leaving a '''scratch''' (noun). ¹

4. Verb. To remove, ignore or delete. ¹

5. Verb. (music) To produce a distinctive sound on a turntable by moving a vinyl record back and forth while manipulating the crossfader (see also scratching). ¹

6. Verb. (billiards) To commit a foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table. ¹

7. Noun. A disruption, mark or shallow cut on a surface made by scratching. ¹

8. Noun. An act of scratching the skin to alleviate an itch or irritation. ¹

9. Noun. (sports) A starting line (originally and simply, a line scratched in the ground). ¹

10. Noun. (billiards) A foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table. ¹

11. Noun. (slang) Money. ¹

12. Noun. A technical error of touching or surpassing the starting mark prior to the official start signal in the sporting events of long jump, discus, hammer throw, shot put, and similar. Originally the starting mark was a scratch on the ground but is now a board or precisely indicated mark. ¹

13. Noun. A feed, usually a mixture of a few common grains, given to chickens. ¹

14. Adjective. For or consisting of preliminary or tentative, incomplete, etc. work. ¹

15. Adjective. Hastily assembled; put together in a hurry or from disparate elements. ¹

16. Adjective. (computing from scratchpad) Relating to a data structure or recording medium attached to a machine for testing or temporary use. ¹

17. Adjective. Constructed from whatever materials are to hand. ¹

18. Adjective. (sports) (of a player) Of a standard high enough to play without a handicap, i.e. to compete without the benefit of a variation in scoring based on ability. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Scratch

1. to make a thin, shallow cut or mark on [v -ED, -ING, -ES]

Medical Definition of Scratch

1. 1. A break in the surface of a thing made by scratching, or by rubbing with anything pointed or rough; a slight wound, mark, furrow, or incision. "The coarse file . . . Makes deep scratches in the work." (Moxon) "These nails with scratches deform my breast." (Prior) "God forbid a shallow scratch should drive The prince of Wales from such a field as this." (Shak) 2. A line across the prize ring; up to which boxers are brought when they join fight; hence, test, trial, or proof of courage; as, to bring to the scratch; to come up to the scratch. 3. Minute, but tender and troublesome, excoriations, covered with scabs, upon the heels of horses which have been used where it is very wet or muddy. 4. A kind of wig covering only a portion of the head. 5. A shot which scores by chance and not as intended by the player; a fluke. Scratch cradle. See Cratch cradle, under Cratch. Scratch grass, a climbing knotweed (Polygonum sagittatum) with a square stem beset with fine recurved prickles along the angles. Scratch wig. Same as Scratch, 4, above. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Scratch

scrat scratch-built scratch along scratch and sniff scratch awl scratch card scratch cards scratch made scratch one's head scratch out

scratch pad scratch paper scratch papers scratch race scratch reflex

Literary usage of Scratch

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms by Frederic Sturges Allen (1920)
"2. Referring to drawing, painting, ele.: scratch, scrabble. scrawl, n. 1. See SCRIBBLE. 2. Referring to a delineation or picture: scratch, scrabble. scream, ..."

2. The Integrative Action of the Nervous System by Charles Scott Sherrington (1906)
"The neuronic construction of the reflex-arc of the scratch-reflex ... Intraspinal seat of the refractory phase of the scratch-reflex. ..."

3. The Integrative Action of the Nervous System by Charles Scott Sherrington (1906)
"The neuronic construction of the reflex-arc of the scratch-reflex. ... Intraspinal seat of the refractory phase of the scratch-reflex. ..."

4. The Integrative Action of the Nervous System by Charles Scott Sherrington (1906)
"The neuronic construction of the reflex-arc of the scratch-reflex. ... Intraspinal seat of the refractory phase of the scratch-reflex. ..."

5. The Metallography of Steel and Cast Iron by Henry Marion Howe (1916)
"2 This result does not really conflict with the failure of the Turner scratch to narrow measurably on crossing a grain boundary (§491). ..."

6. Outing (1893)
"Running broad jump—Won by EW Goff, M. A C. (scratch), jump 22 ft. ... The freshman scratch meeting at Harvard was remarkable chiefly for the interclass team ..."

7. A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language by Walter William Skeat (1901)
"L, scribere, to write, orig. to scratch or cut slightly. SCRUB Scrimmage ; see Skirmish. script. (F.-L.) MF escript, «a writing. — L. scriptum, neut. of pp. ..."

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