English words for 'A scratch on the back.'
Closest matches for "A scratch on the back." are ranked by semantic fit across dictionary definitions.
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- A bump left on the skin after having been stung.
- The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.
- A sharp, localized pain primarily on the epidermis.
- A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show.
- The concluding point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.
- A brief sequence of music used in films, TV, and video games as a form of scenic punctuation or to identify the broadcasting station.
- (botany) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles.
- A goad; incitement.
- A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow.
- (law enforcement) A police operation in which the police pretend to engage in criminal activity in order to catch a criminal.
- A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
- A puncture made by an insect or arachnid in an attack, usually including the injection of venom.
- (figurative) The harmful or painful part of something.
- operation designed to catch a person committing a criminal act
- a mental pain or distress
- a painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin
- a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being stung
- a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
- (ambitransitive) To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.
- (figurative) To cause harm or pain to.
- (intransitive, sometimes figurative) To hurt, to be in pain (physically or emotionally).
- (transitive, of an insect or arachnid) To puncture with the stinger.
- cause a stinging pain
- cause an emotional pain, as if by stinging
- cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort
- saddle with something disagreeable or disadvantageous
- deliver a sting to
- Someone who scratches.
- a person who scratches to relieve an itch
- An item made of shreddable material (carpet, corrugated cardboard, etc.) designed to be scratched, usually by pet cats.
- (slang) A counterfeiter.
- A piece of equipment used to scratch part of the body to relieve an itch.
- (zoology) Any rasorial bird.
- (gambling) A scratch card.
- A device for cleaning mud etc. from a wellbore.
- (slang, derogatory) An unlicensed tattoo artist.
- (slang) A bedding place (e.g., mattress, bunk, hay bed, or bed).
- a device used for scratching
- a workman who uses a tool for scratching
- Characterized by scratches.
- (informal, of an analogue radio transmission) Noisy, lossy; marred by white noise or static as a result of poor or low signal, interference or unfavourable atmospheric conditions.
- (of a phonograph record) Having popping and/or crackling sounds due to excessive wear, especially from scratch marks.
- (chiefly of a sore throat) Irritating; itchy.
- (informal) Irritable; tetchy.
- unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
- easily irritated or annoyed
- causing abrasion
- lacking consistency
- A broad, shallow injury left by scraping (rather than a cut or a scratch).
- an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off
- (heraldry) A diminutive of the bend (especially of the bend sinister) which is half its width.
- A shallow depression used by ground birds as a nest; a nest scrape.
- (British, slang) A D and C or abortion; or, a miscarriage.
- An awkward set of circumstances.
- An intermittent shallow pond in a wetland or floodplain, often artificially created to attract birds.
- (military) A shallow pit dug as a hideout.
- (slang) A fight, especially a fistfight without weapons.
- (UK, slang) A shave.
- The sound or action of something being scraped.
- Something removed by being scraped; a thin layer of something such as butter on bread.
- a harsh noise made by scraping
- a deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility)
- an indication of damage
- scratch repeatedly
- (transitive) To injure or damage by rubbing across a surface.
- (intransitive) To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow.
- (transitive) To remove (something) by drawing an object along in this manner.
- To express disapprobation of (a play, etc.) or to silence (a speaker) by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; usually with down.
- (intransitive) To occupy oneself with getting laboriously.
- (ambitransitive) To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or similar instrument.
- (transitive) To barely manage to achieve or attain.
- (computing, transitive) To extract data by automated means from a format not intended to be machine-readable, such as a screenshot or a formatted web page.
- (transitive) To collect or gather, especially without regard to the quality of what is chosen.
- (ambitransitive) To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.
- bruise, cut, or injure the skin or the surface of
- make by scraping
- gather (money or other resources) together over time
- cut the surface of; wear away the surface of
- bend the knees and bow in a servile manner
- feed as in a meadow or pasture
- let feed in a field or pasture or meadow
- scrape gently
- break the skin (of a body part) by scraping
- eat lightly, try different dishes
- To shoplift by consuming food or drink items before reaching the checkout.
- (transitive) To tend (cattle, etc.) while grazing.
- (transitive) To cause a slight wound to; to scratch.
- (transitive) To rub or touch lightly the surface of (a thing) in passing.
- (intransitive) To eat small amounts of food periodically throughout the day, rather than at fixed mealtimes, often not in response to hunger.
- (intransitive) To yield grass for grazing.
- (ambitransitive) To feed on; to eat (growing herbage); to eat grass from (a pasture)
- (transitive) To feed or supply (cattle, sheep, etc.) with grass; to furnish pasture for.
- An abraded, scraped, or worn area.
- an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off
- (geology) The effect of mechanical erosion of rock, especially a river bed, by rock fragments scratching and scraping it.
- An act of abrasiveness.
- The act of abrading, wearing, or rubbing off; the wearing away by friction.
- (dentistry) The wearing away of the surface of the tooth by chewing.
- (medicine) A superficial wound caused by scraping; an area of skin where the cells on the surface have been scraped or worn away.
- the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice
- erosion by friction
- (of a surface) To get such scratches.
- (music) To produce a distinctive sound on a turntable by moving a vinyl record back and forth while manipulating the crossfader (see also scratching).
- (ambitransitive) To dig or excavate with the claws.
- To write or draw hastily or awkwardly; scrawl.
- To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.
- Hence, to remove, ignore, or delete.
- To dig or scrape (a person's skin) with claws or fingernails in self-defense or with the intention to injure.
- To cross out, strike out, strike through some text on a page.
- To mark a surface with a sharp object, thereby leaving a scratch (noun).
- (billiards) To commit a foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.
- (swimming, athletics) To announce one's non-participation in a race or sports event part of a larger sports meeting that one was previously signed up for, usually in lieu of another event at the same meeting.
- To rub the skin with rough material causing a sensation of irritation; to cause itching.
- To irritate someone's skin with one's unshaven beard when kissing.
- scrape or rub as if to relieve itching
- postpone indefinitely or annul something that was scheduled
- gather (money or other resources) together over time
- cause friction
- remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line
- cut the surface of; wear away the surface of
- carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
- A disruption, mark or shallow cut on a surface made by scratching.
- an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off
- A foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.
- Poor handwriting; especially, illegibly so.
- (music) A genre of Virgin Islander music, better known as fungi.
- A feed, usually a mixture of a few common grains, given to chickens.
- A starting line (originally and simply, a line scratched in the ground), as in boxing.
- 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.
- (in the plural) 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.
- (meiosis) A minor injury.
- (cycling) The last riders to depart in a handicap race.
- An act of scratching the skin to alleviate an itch or irritation.
- Nothing, zero. Used especially in card games or sports, but also expressions like "from scatch".
- (now historical) A scratch wig.
- (horse racing) A horse withdrawn from a race prior to the start.
- (slang) Money; especially, cash.
- a harsh noise made by scraping
- a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game
- informal terms for money
- (golf) a handicap of zero strokes
- a competitor who has withdrawn from competition
- an indication of damage
- a depression scratched or carved into a surface
- dry mash for poultry
- poor handwriting
- (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.
- (computing) Relating to a scratchpad, a data structure or recording medium attached to a machine for testing or temporary use.
- For or consisting of preliminary or tentative, incomplete, etc. work.
- Hastily assembled, arranged or constructed, from whatever materials are to hand, with little or no preparation
- a long-handled scratcher for scratching your back
- someone who is willing to trade favors or services for mutual advantage
- A long slender rod with a rake-like device on one end, sometimes in the form of a human hand, designed to let a person scratch their own back.
- (figurative, uncommon) A participant in corruption, such as a briber or pay-to-play participant.
- (Derbyshire, Wales) A scratch, especially caused by claws or fingernails.
- The device used to shut down a nuclear reactor; also, the button or switch used to initiate a shutdown.
- (MLE, slang) A gun, firearm.
- (also attributively) A shutdown of a nuclear reactor (or, by extension, some other thing), often done rapidly due to an emergency.
- (intransitive, originally US, often imperative) To leave in a hurry; to go away.
- (transitive) To shut down (a nuclear reactor or, by extension, some other thing) for safety reasons, usually because of an emergency.
- (intransitive) Of a nuclear reactor or some other thing: to shut down, usually because of an emergency.
- (transitive, Derbyshire, Wales) To scratch (something) with claws or fingernails; to claw.
- leave immediately; used usually in the imperative form
- A dark spot on the skin; a pustule.
- An uneven patch of color or discoloration.
- (slang) Blotting paper.
- Any of various crop diseases that cause the plant to form spots.
- A bright or dark spot on old film caused by dirt and loss of the gelatin covering the film, due to age and poor film quality.
- (figuratively) Imperfection; blemish on one’s reputation, stain.
- An irregularly shaped area.
- an irregularly shaped spot
- an irritating cutaneous sensation that produces a desire to scratch
- A sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch said area.
- a strong restless desire
- a contagious skin infection caused by the itch mite; characterized by persistent itching and skin irritation
- A constant teasing desire or want.
- scrape or rub as if to relieve itching
- have a strong desire or urge to do something
- have or perceive an itch
- cause to perceive an itch
- (intransitive) To have a constant, teasing urge; to feel strongly motivated; to want or desire something.
- (transitive, colloquial) To scratch or rub so as to relieve an itch.
- (intransitive, stative) To feel itchy; to feel a need to be scratched.
- (transitive) To cause to feel an itch.
- appear on the skin
- become active and spew forth lava and rocks
- force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up
- become raw or open
- start to burn or burst into flames
- start abruptly
- erupt or intensify suddenly
- break out
- (intransitive, biology) (Of birds, insects, etc.) To suddenly appear in a certain region in large numbers.
- (intransitive) To burst forth; to break out.
- (intransitive, figuratively) To spontaneously release pressure or tension.
- (intransitive) To eject something violently (such as lava or water, as from a volcano or geyser).
- a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue
- A permanent mark on the skin, sometimes caused by the healing of a wound.
- an indication of damage
- A bare rocky place on the side of a hill or mountain.
- (by extension) A permanent negative effect on someone's mind, caused by a traumatic experience.
- Any permanent mark resulting from damage.
- A cliff or rock outcrop.
- A rock in the sea breaking out from the surface of the water.
- A marine food fish, the scarus or parrotfish (family Scaridae).
- A flake of skin of an animal afflicted with dermatitis.
- An ordered, usually numerical sequence used for measurement; means of assigning a magnitude.
- (uncountable) Limescale.
- Size; scope.
- (uncountable) The flaky material sloughed off heated metal.
- A device to measure mass or weight.
- (uncountable, US) An infestation of scale insects on a plant; commonly thought of as, or mistaken for, a disease.
- A standard amount of money to be paid for a service, for example union-negotiated amounts received by a performer or writer; similar to wage scale or pay grade.
- (music) A series of notes spanning an octave, tritave, or pseudo-octave, used to make melodies.
- Either of the pans, trays, or dishes of a balance or scales.
- Scale mail (as opposed to chain mail).
- A mathematical base for a numeral system; radix.
- Part of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard pieces of keratin covering the skin of an animal, particularly a fish or reptile.
- A small piece of pigmented chitin, many of which coat the wings of a butterfly or moth to give them their color.
- The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a pocketknife.
- A scale insect.
- A line or bar associated with a drawing, used to indicate measurement when the image has been magnified or reduced.
- The ratio of depicted distance to actual distance.
- Part of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard protective layers forming a pinecone that flare when mature to release pine nut seeds.
- Gradation; succession of ascending and descending steps and degrees; progressive series; scheme of comparative rank or order.
- a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners)
- an indicator having a graduated sequence of marks
- an ordered reference standard
- a measuring instrument for weighing; shows amount of mass
- relative magnitude
- a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin
- the ratio between the size of something and a representation of it
- a specialized leaf or bract that protects a bud or catkin
- a flattened rigid plate forming part of the body covering of many animals
- (music) a series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme (usually within an octave)
- (transitive) To change the size of something whilst maintaining proportion; especially to change a process in order to produce much larger amounts of the final product.
- (transitive) To climb to the top of.
- (transitive) To take off in thin layers or scales, as tartar from the teeth; to pare off, as a surface.
- (transitive) To weigh, measure or grade according to a scale or system.
- (intransitive) To separate and come off in thin layers or laminae.
- (transitive) To remove the scales of.
- (intransitive) To become scaly; to produce or develop scales.
- (UK, Scotland, dialect) To scatter; to spread.
- (transitive) To clean, as the inside of a cannon, by the explosion of a small quantity of powder.
- (manufacturing, transitive) To take measurements from (an engineering drawing), treating them as (or as if) reliable dimensional instructions. This practice often works but can produce latently incorrect results and is thus usually deprecated.
- (intransitive, computing) To tolerate significant increases in throughput or other potentially limiting factors.
- (transitive) To strip or clear of scale; to descale.
- measure by or as if by a scale
- climb up by means of a ladder
- take by attacking with scaling ladders
- reach the highest point of
- remove the scales from
- measure with or as if with scales
- pattern, make, regulate, set, measure, or estimate according to some rate or standard
- size or measure according to a scale
- A stain or disfiguring mark.
- (soccer) Penalty spot.
- The act of spotting or noticing something.
- (US, advertising) A brief advertisement or program segment on television.
- (sports) An official determination of placement.
- A bright lamp; a spotlight.
- A pimple, papule or pustule.
- A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape.
- A small, unspecified amount or quantity.
- A symbol on a playing card, domino, die, etc. indicating its value; a pip.
- Any of the balls marked with spots in the game of pool, which one player aims to pot, the other player taking the stripes.
- (finance) A decimal point; point.
- A parking space.
- (gymnastics, dance, weightlifting) One who spots (supports or assists a maneuver, or is prepared to assist if safety dictates); a spotter.
- (physics) An autosoliton.
- A location or area.
- Any of various points marked on the table, from which balls are played, in snooker, pool, billiards, etc.
- (slang, US) A bill of five-dollar or ten-dollar denomination in dollars.
- A food fish (Leiostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast of the United States, with a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides.
- A difficult situation.
- A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above the beak.
- The southern redfish, or red horse (Sciaenops ocellatus), which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail.
- a lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer
- a small piece or quantity of something
- a business establishment for entertainment
- a mark on a die or on a playing card (shape depending on the suit)
- a short section or illustration (as between radio or tv programs or in a magazine) that is often used for advertising
- a point located with respect to surface features of some region
- a blemish made by dirt
- a section of an entertainment that is assigned to a specific performer or performance
- a small contrasting part of something
- an act that brings discredit to the person who does it
- a slight attack of illness
- an outstanding characteristic
- a playing card with a specified number of pips on it to indicate its value
- (transitive, gymnastics, dance, weightlifting, climbing) To support or assist a maneuver, or to be prepared to assist if safety dictates.
- (rail transport, transitive) To position (a locomotive or car) at a predetermined point, e.g., for loading or unloading.
- (dialectal) To rain slightly, in scattered, infrequent drops, for example when first beginning to rain.
- (ambitransitive) To stain; to leave a spot (on).
- (transitive) To remove, or attempt to remove, a stain.
- (transitive, dance) To keep the head and eyes pointing in a single direction while turning.
- (transitive) To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation.
- (transitive, chiefly snooker and billiards) To place (an object) at a location indicated by a spot.
- (US, slang, ditransitive) To loan a small amount of money to someone.
- To experience vaginal spotting; to expel blood from the vagina.
- (intransitive, snooker and billiards) Of a ball, to be capable of being placed on its own spot.
- (aviation, military, transitive) To position (an aircraft) on the deck of an aircraft carrier ready for launch by catapult.
- (transitive) To cut or chip (timber) in preparation for hewing.
- (transitive) To cover with spots, to speckle.
- (transitive) To retouch a photograph on film to remove minor flaws.
- (transitive) To see, find; to pick out, notice, locate, distinguish or identify.
- catch sight of
- mar or impair with a flaw
- mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition
- detect with the senses
- become spotted
- make a spot or mark onto
- Something wound around another thing.
- (especially in the plural) A curving, sinuous, or twisting form.
- (agriculture, chiefly attributive) The act of winnowing (“subjecting food grain to a current of air to separate the grain from the chaff”).
- (music) The act of blowing air through a wind instrument or (chiefly) a horn to make a sound.
- (lutherie) Synonym of lapping (“lengths of fine silk, metal wire, or whalebone wrapped tightly around the stick of the bow of a string instrument adjacent to the leather part of the bow grip at the heel”).
- Sometimes followed by up: the act of hoisting something using a winch or a similar device.
- The act of twisting something, or coiling or wrapping something around another thing.
- (especially in the plural) A curving, sinuous, or twisting movement; twists and turns.
- (figurative, chiefly in the plural) Twists and turns in an occurrence, in thinking, or some other thing; also, moral crookedness; craftiness, shiftiness.
- Chiefly followed by up: the act of tightening the spring of a clockwork or other mechanism.
- (British, nautical) The act or process of turning a boat or ship in a certain direction.
- (electrical engineering) A length of wire wound around the armature of an electric motor or the core of an electrical transformer.
- the act of winding or twisting
- Chiefly of a staircase: helical, spiral.
- (not comparable, music) Of a horn or wind instrument: blown to make a sound.
- (comparable) Causing one to be breathless or out of breath.
- Moving in a sinuous or twisting manner.
- (figurative) Of speech, writing, etc.: not direct or to the point; rambling, roundabout.
- Sinuous, turning, or twisting in form.
- marked by repeated turns and bends
- of a path e.g.
- (Bristol) A scab on a wound.
- A swift runner.
- (uncountable) A loose formation of small ragged cloud fragments (or fog) not attached to a larger higher cloud layer.
- Clouds or rain(s) (or snow, etc) driven by the wind.
- (slang, uncountable, Scotland) The drink Irn-Bru.
- The act of scudding.
- A small flight of larks, or other birds, less than a flock.
- (slang, uncountable, Scotland) Pornography.
- A form of garden hoe.
- Any swimming amphipod, usually Gammarus
- A slap; a sharp stroke.
- A gust of wind.
- the act of moving along swiftly (as before a gale)
- (Northumbria) To hit or slap.
- (Northumbria) To skim flat stones so they skip along the water.
- (intransitive) To race along swiftly (especially used of clouds).
- (Northumbria) To speed.
- To scrape (skins) to remove hair etc. as part of the tanning process.
- (ambitransitive, nautical) To run, or be driven, before a high wind with few or no sails set.
- run or move very quickly or hastily
- run before a gale
- A ridge or lump on the skin, as caused by a blow.
- In carpentry, a strip of wood fastened over a flush seam or joint, or an angle, to strengthen it.
- A strip, especially one around the edge of something (for example, in some old heraldry).
- (shoemaking) A strip of leather set into the seam between the outsole of a shoe and the upper, through which these parts are joined by stitching or stapling.
- In machine-made stockings, a strip, or flap, of which the heel is formed.
- A strip of material or covered cord applied to a seam or garment edge to strengthen or cover it.
- In steam boilers and sheet-iron work, a strip riveted upon the edges of plates that form a butt joint.
- a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions
- a raised or strengthened seam
- A speckle or spot, especially on the body of an animal.
- A shiny particle of a mineral.
- A point of light; also (rare), a glitter, a sparkle.
- (figuratively) A star.
- A small, flat piece of sparkling metallic or metal-like material with a hole which is sewn on to a garment, etc., for decoration; a sequin.
- Any small sparkling object.
- Any of a number of swallowtail butterflies (genus Papilio); specifically Papilio protenor.
- adornment consisting of a small piece of shiny material used to decorate clothing
- Having a rough texture; scratchy.
- Characterised by scrabbling, or digging around.
- Rough, poor and uncultured.
- Scribbly.
- Impoverished, hardscrabble
- Stunted.
- Of poor quality; poorly maintained.
- Sparse and scraggly.
- Thrown together; disorganized or slapdash.
- Covered in loose rocks or crumbling soil.
- Characterized by sparse, stunted vegetation, infertile.
- Difficult to negotiate; requiring scrambling.
- sparsely covered with stunted trees or vegetation and underbrush
- A small chink or crack.
- a mark left after a small piece has been chopped or broken off of something
- An inspection or examination.
- (falconry) The forsaking by a hawk of its proper game to follow other birds. [from 15th c.]
- A lengthwise separation through the growth rings in wood.
- Any fabric woven with such a pattern.
- (US) An order to a bank to pay money to a named person or entity.
- A token used instead of cash in various contexts, including sign-out of company property or collection of rations (dated), in gaming machines, or in gambling generally.
- (chess) A situation in which the king is directly threatened by an opposing piece.
- (US) A bill, particularly in a restaurant.
- (textiles, usually pluralized) A pattern made up of a grid of squares of alternating colors; a checkered pattern.
- A control; a limit or stop.
- A mark, certificate, or token by which errors may be prevented, or a thing or person may be identified.
- (contact sports) A maneuver performed by a player to take another player out of the play.
- (US) A mark (especially a checkmark: ✓) used as an indicator.
- a textile pattern of squares or crossed lines (resembling a checkerboard)
- obstructing an opponent in ice hockey
- the act of inspecting or verifying
- the bill in a restaurant
- the state of inactivity following an interruption
- additional proof that something that was believed (some fact or hypothesis or theory) is correct
- something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
- (chess) a direct attack on an opponent's king
- the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess
- an appraisal of the state of affairs
- a written order directing a bank to pay money
- a mark indicating that something has been noted or completed etc.
- (nautical) To slack or ease off, as a brace which is too stiffly extended.
- (intransitive) To check out, make sense or prove to be the case after verification or interrogation.
- (transitive) To leave with a shipping agent for shipping.
- (transitive) To make checks or chinks in; to cause to crack.
- To act as a curb or restraint.
- (informal, transitive) To scold or rebuke someone.
- (transitive) To mark with a check pattern.
- (poker, transitive) To announce that one is remaining in a hand without betting.
- (transitive) To verify the accuracy of a text or translation, usually making some corrections (proofread) or many (copyedit).
- (intransitive, with at) To make a stop; to pause.
- (transitive) To control, limit, or halt.
- (street basketball, transitive) To pass or bounce the ball to an opponent from behind the three-point line and have the opponent pass or bounce it back to start play.
- (chess, transitive) To make a move which puts an adversary's king in check; to put in check.
- (transitive, US, often used with "off") To mark items on a list (with a checkmark or by crossing them out) that have been chosen for keeping or removal or that have been dealt with (for example, completed or verified as correct or satisfactory).
- To crack or gape open, as wood in drying; or to crack in small checks, as varnish, paint, etc.
- (transitive) To chide, rebuke, or reprove.
- (falconry) To turn, when in pursuit of proper game, and fly after other birds.
- (sports, transitive) To disrupt another player with the stick or body to obtain possession of the ball or puck.
- (transitive) To verify or compare with a source of information.
- (transitive) To leave in safekeeping.
- (transitive) To inspect; to examine.
- place into check
- develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control
- slow the growth or development of
- hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of
- abandon the intended prey, turn, and pursue an inferior prey
- hand over something to somebody as for temporary safekeeping
- put a check mark on or near or next to
- stop for a moment, as if out of uncertainty or caution
- block or impede (a player from the opposing team) in ice hockey
- be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something
- consign for shipment on a vehicle
- find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort
- be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
- stop in a chase especially when scent is lost
- make an examination or investigation
- verify by consulting a source or authority
- make cracks or chinks in
- examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
- lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits
- be verified or confirmed; pass inspection
- write out a check on a bank account
- become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
- mark into squares or draw squares on; draw crossed lines on
- decline to initiate betting
- arrest the motion (of something) abruptly
- scratch repeatedly
- make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together
- reduce to small shreds or pulverize by rubbing against a rough or sharp perforated surface
- furnish with a grate
- gnaw into; make resentful or angry
- (by extension, transitive) To annoy.
- (intransitive) To make an unpleasant rasping sound, often as the result of rubbing against something.
- (transitive) To furnish with grates; to protect with a grating or crossbars.
- (by extension, intransitive) To get on one's nerves; to irritate, annoy.
- (transitive, cooking) To shred (things, usually foodstuffs), by rubbing across a grater.
- a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
- a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air
- a harsh rasping sound made by scraping something
- A horizontal metal grill through which liquid, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.
- (historical) A grapper, a metal ring on a lance behind the grip.
- A frame or bed, or kind of basket, of iron bars, for holding fuel while burning.
- The act or sound of something being scratched.
- (UK, in the plural) A piece of deep-fried batter left over from frying fish, sometimes sold with chips.
- A pork scratching.
- Record scratching, a technique of starting and stopping a vinyl record from playing to produce music in hip hop.
- a harsh noise made by scraping
- (colloquial) A mark of a soiled finger wiped on a surface.
- Any other mark or stain left on a surface from a sliding or rubbing object.
- A black mark left on a road surface from the sliding or skidding tires of a motor vehicle that has lost traction.
- Any burn on the skin caused by scraping the skin against a surface.
- (colloquial, humorous, euphemistic) A visible feces stain left on underpants, trousers, or sometimes the toilet bowl.
- a mark left after a small piece has been chopped or broken off of something
- a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
- a thin crisp slice of potato fried in deep fat
- electronic equipment consisting of a small crystal of a silicon semiconductor fabricated to carry out a number of electronic functions in an integrated circuit
- a small disk-shaped counter used to represent money when gambling
- the act of chipping something
- a piece of dried bovine dung
- (golf) a low running approach shot
- a triangular wooden float attached to the end of a log line
- The smallest amount; a whit or jot.
- (US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, especially in the plural) A thin, crisp, fried slice of potato, a crisp; occasionally a similar fried slice of another vegetable or dried fruit.
- (New Zealand, northern) A receptacle, usually for strawberries or other fruit.
- A small rectangle of colour printed on coated paper for colour selection and matching. A virtual equivalent in software applications.
- A damaged area of a surface where a small piece has been broken off.
- (golf) A low shot, usually played at short range around and onto a green, intended to travel a short distance through the air and roll the remainder of the way towards the hole.
- (tennis) A light shot with a downward slice, usually played from close to the net.
- A medallion.
- (nautical) The triangular piece of wood attached to the log line.
- (electronics) A hybrid device mounted in a substrate, containing electronic circuitry and miniaturised mechanical, chemical or biochemical devices.
- (electronics) A circuit fabricated in one piece on a small, thin substrate; a microchip.
- A small piece broken from a larger piece of solid material.
- A dried piece of dung, often used as fuel.
- (games, gambling) A token used in place of cash.
- (historical) Wood or Cuban palm leaf split into slips, or straw plaited in a special manner, for making hats or bonnets.
- (billiards) A very light shot that hits the cue ball so softly that it barely moves an object ball into a pocket without the cue ball going in as well.
- (curling) A takeout that hits a rock at an angle.
- (sports such as soccer) A shot during which the ball travels more predominantly upwards than in a regular shot, as to clear an obstacle.
- (cooking) A small, near-conical piece of food added in baking.
- play a chip shot
- form by chipping
- cut a nick into
- break off (a piece from a whole)
- break a small piece off from
- (UK, slang, intransitive) To leave.
- (intransitive, dialectal) To use a chisel.
- (transitive, dialectal) To chisel (something), to chisel on (something).
- (transitive, sports such as soccer) To beat (an opposing player) by use of a chip shot, such as by looping the ball over the head of the opposing goalkeeper.
- (transitive, automotive) To upgrade an engine management system, usually to increase power.
- (UK, transitive, often with "in") To contribute.
- (intransitive) To become chipped.
- (transitive, billiards) To move (a ball) a relatively short distance by means of an oblique contact.
- (transitive) To break small pieces from.
- (transitive, sports) To strike or play (the ball or other implement) as a chip shot.
- (also to chip at) To make fun of.
- (transitive) To chop or cut into small pieces.
- (intransitive, card games, often with "in") To ante (up).
- (transitive, informal) To fit (an animal) with a microchip.
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- A bump left on the skin after having been stung.
- The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.
- A sharp, localized pain primarily on the epidermis.
- A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show.
- The concluding point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.
- A brief sequence of music used in films, TV, and video games as a form of scenic punctuation or to identify the broadcasting station.
- (botany) A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles.
- A goad; incitement.
- A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow.
- (law enforcement) A police operation in which the police pretend to engage in criminal activity in order to catch a criminal.
- A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
- A puncture made by an insect or arachnid in an attack, usually including the injection of venom.
- (figurative) The harmful or painful part of something.
- operation designed to catch a person committing a criminal act
- a mental pain or distress
- a painful wound caused by the thrust of an insect's stinger into skin
- a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being stung
- a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
- (ambitransitive) To hurt, usually by introducing poison or a sharp point, or both.
- (figurative) To cause harm or pain to.
- (intransitive, sometimes figurative) To hurt, to be in pain (physically or emotionally).
- (transitive, of an insect or arachnid) To puncture with the stinger.
- cause a stinging pain
- cause an emotional pain, as if by stinging
- cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort
- saddle with something disagreeable or disadvantageous
- deliver a sting to
- Someone who scratches.
- a person who scratches to relieve an itch
- An item made of shreddable material (carpet, corrugated cardboard, etc.) designed to be scratched, usually by pet cats.
- (slang) A counterfeiter.
- A piece of equipment used to scratch part of the body to relieve an itch.
- (zoology) Any rasorial bird.
- (gambling) A scratch card.
- A device for cleaning mud etc. from a wellbore.
- (slang, derogatory) An unlicensed tattoo artist.
- (slang) A bedding place (e.g., mattress, bunk, hay bed, or bed).
- a device used for scratching
- a workman who uses a tool for scratching
- A broad, shallow injury left by scraping (rather than a cut or a scratch).
- an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off
- (heraldry) A diminutive of the bend (especially of the bend sinister) which is half its width.
- A shallow depression used by ground birds as a nest; a nest scrape.
- (British, slang) A D and C or abortion; or, a miscarriage.
- An awkward set of circumstances.
- An intermittent shallow pond in a wetland or floodplain, often artificially created to attract birds.
- (military) A shallow pit dug as a hideout.
- (slang) A fight, especially a fistfight without weapons.
- (UK, slang) A shave.
- The sound or action of something being scraped.
- Something removed by being scraped; a thin layer of something such as butter on bread.
- a harsh noise made by scraping
- a deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility)
- an indication of damage
- scratch repeatedly
- (transitive) To injure or damage by rubbing across a surface.
- (intransitive) To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow.
- (transitive) To remove (something) by drawing an object along in this manner.
- To express disapprobation of (a play, etc.) or to silence (a speaker) by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; usually with down.
- (intransitive) To occupy oneself with getting laboriously.
- (ambitransitive) To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or similar instrument.
- (transitive) To barely manage to achieve or attain.
- (computing, transitive) To extract data by automated means from a format not intended to be machine-readable, such as a screenshot or a formatted web page.
- (transitive) To collect or gather, especially without regard to the quality of what is chosen.
- (ambitransitive) To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.
- bruise, cut, or injure the skin or the surface of
- make by scraping
- gather (money or other resources) together over time
- cut the surface of; wear away the surface of
- bend the knees and bow in a servile manner
- feed as in a meadow or pasture
- let feed in a field or pasture or meadow
- scrape gently
- break the skin (of a body part) by scraping
- eat lightly, try different dishes
- To shoplift by consuming food or drink items before reaching the checkout.
- (transitive) To tend (cattle, etc.) while grazing.
- (transitive) To cause a slight wound to; to scratch.
- (transitive) To rub or touch lightly the surface of (a thing) in passing.
- (intransitive) To eat small amounts of food periodically throughout the day, rather than at fixed mealtimes, often not in response to hunger.
- (intransitive) To yield grass for grazing.
- (ambitransitive) To feed on; to eat (growing herbage); to eat grass from (a pasture)
- (transitive) To feed or supply (cattle, sheep, etc.) with grass; to furnish pasture for.
- An abraded, scraped, or worn area.
- an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off
- (geology) The effect of mechanical erosion of rock, especially a river bed, by rock fragments scratching and scraping it.
- An act of abrasiveness.
- The act of abrading, wearing, or rubbing off; the wearing away by friction.
- (dentistry) The wearing away of the surface of the tooth by chewing.
- (medicine) A superficial wound caused by scraping; an area of skin where the cells on the surface have been scraped or worn away.
- the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice
- erosion by friction
- a long-handled scratcher for scratching your back
- someone who is willing to trade favors or services for mutual advantage
- A long slender rod with a rake-like device on one end, sometimes in the form of a human hand, designed to let a person scratch their own back.
- (figurative, uncommon) A participant in corruption, such as a briber or pay-to-play participant.
- (Derbyshire, Wales) A scratch, especially caused by claws or fingernails.
- The device used to shut down a nuclear reactor; also, the button or switch used to initiate a shutdown.
- (MLE, slang) A gun, firearm.
- (also attributively) A shutdown of a nuclear reactor (or, by extension, some other thing), often done rapidly due to an emergency.
- (intransitive, originally US, often imperative) To leave in a hurry; to go away.
- (transitive) To shut down (a nuclear reactor or, by extension, some other thing) for safety reasons, usually because of an emergency.
- (intransitive) Of a nuclear reactor or some other thing: to shut down, usually because of an emergency.
- (transitive, Derbyshire, Wales) To scratch (something) with claws or fingernails; to claw.
- leave immediately; used usually in the imperative form
- A dark spot on the skin; a pustule.
- An uneven patch of color or discoloration.
- (slang) Blotting paper.
- Any of various crop diseases that cause the plant to form spots.
- A bright or dark spot on old film caused by dirt and loss of the gelatin covering the film, due to age and poor film quality.
- (figuratively) Imperfection; blemish on one’s reputation, stain.
- An irregularly shaped area.
- an irregularly shaped spot
- an irritating cutaneous sensation that produces a desire to scratch
- A sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch said area.
- a strong restless desire
- a contagious skin infection caused by the itch mite; characterized by persistent itching and skin irritation
- A constant teasing desire or want.
- scrape or rub as if to relieve itching
- have a strong desire or urge to do something
- have or perceive an itch
- cause to perceive an itch
- (intransitive) To have a constant, teasing urge; to feel strongly motivated; to want or desire something.
- (transitive, colloquial) To scratch or rub so as to relieve an itch.
- (intransitive, stative) To feel itchy; to feel a need to be scratched.
- (transitive) To cause to feel an itch.
- (of a surface) To get such scratches.
- (music) To produce a distinctive sound on a turntable by moving a vinyl record back and forth while manipulating the crossfader (see also scratching).
- (ambitransitive) To dig or excavate with the claws.
- To write or draw hastily or awkwardly; scrawl.
- To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.
- Hence, to remove, ignore, or delete.
- To dig or scrape (a person's skin) with claws or fingernails in self-defense or with the intention to injure.
- To cross out, strike out, strike through some text on a page.
- To mark a surface with a sharp object, thereby leaving a scratch (noun).
- (billiards) To commit a foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.
- (swimming, athletics) To announce one's non-participation in a race or sports event part of a larger sports meeting that one was previously signed up for, usually in lieu of another event at the same meeting.
- To rub the skin with rough material causing a sensation of irritation; to cause itching.
- To irritate someone's skin with one's unshaven beard when kissing.
- scrape or rub as if to relieve itching
- postpone indefinitely or annul something that was scheduled
- gather (money or other resources) together over time
- cause friction
- remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line
- cut the surface of; wear away the surface of
- carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
- A disruption, mark or shallow cut on a surface made by scratching.
- an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off
- A foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.
- Poor handwriting; especially, illegibly so.
- (music) A genre of Virgin Islander music, better known as fungi.
- A feed, usually a mixture of a few common grains, given to chickens.
- A starting line (originally and simply, a line scratched in the ground), as in boxing.
- 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.
- (in the plural) 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.
- (meiosis) A minor injury.
- (cycling) The last riders to depart in a handicap race.
- An act of scratching the skin to alleviate an itch or irritation.
- Nothing, zero. Used especially in card games or sports, but also expressions like "from scatch".
- (now historical) A scratch wig.
- (horse racing) A horse withdrawn from a race prior to the start.
- (slang) Money; especially, cash.
- a harsh noise made by scraping
- a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game
- informal terms for money
- (golf) a handicap of zero strokes
- a competitor who has withdrawn from competition
- an indication of damage
- a depression scratched or carved into a surface
- dry mash for poultry
- poor handwriting
- (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.
- (computing) Relating to a scratchpad, a data structure or recording medium attached to a machine for testing or temporary use.
- For or consisting of preliminary or tentative, incomplete, etc. work.
- Hastily assembled, arranged or constructed, from whatever materials are to hand, with little or no preparation
- a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue
- A permanent mark on the skin, sometimes caused by the healing of a wound.
- an indication of damage
- A bare rocky place on the side of a hill or mountain.
- (by extension) A permanent negative effect on someone's mind, caused by a traumatic experience.
- Any permanent mark resulting from damage.
- A cliff or rock outcrop.
- A rock in the sea breaking out from the surface of the water.
- A marine food fish, the scarus or parrotfish (family Scaridae).
- A flake of skin of an animal afflicted with dermatitis.
- An ordered, usually numerical sequence used for measurement; means of assigning a magnitude.
- (uncountable) Limescale.
- Size; scope.
- (uncountable) The flaky material sloughed off heated metal.
- A device to measure mass or weight.
- (uncountable, US) An infestation of scale insects on a plant; commonly thought of as, or mistaken for, a disease.
- A standard amount of money to be paid for a service, for example union-negotiated amounts received by a performer or writer; similar to wage scale or pay grade.
- (music) A series of notes spanning an octave, tritave, or pseudo-octave, used to make melodies.
- Either of the pans, trays, or dishes of a balance or scales.
- Scale mail (as opposed to chain mail).
- A mathematical base for a numeral system; radix.
- Part of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard pieces of keratin covering the skin of an animal, particularly a fish or reptile.
- A small piece of pigmented chitin, many of which coat the wings of a butterfly or moth to give them their color.
- The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a pocketknife.
- A scale insect.
- A line or bar associated with a drawing, used to indicate measurement when the image has been magnified or reduced.
- The ratio of depicted distance to actual distance.
- Part of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard protective layers forming a pinecone that flare when mature to release pine nut seeds.
- Gradation; succession of ascending and descending steps and degrees; progressive series; scheme of comparative rank or order.
- a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners)
- an indicator having a graduated sequence of marks
- an ordered reference standard
- a measuring instrument for weighing; shows amount of mass
- relative magnitude
- a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin
- the ratio between the size of something and a representation of it
- a specialized leaf or bract that protects a bud or catkin
- a flattened rigid plate forming part of the body covering of many animals
- (music) a series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme (usually within an octave)
- (transitive) To change the size of something whilst maintaining proportion; especially to change a process in order to produce much larger amounts of the final product.
- (transitive) To climb to the top of.
- (transitive) To take off in thin layers or scales, as tartar from the teeth; to pare off, as a surface.
- (transitive) To weigh, measure or grade according to a scale or system.
- (intransitive) To separate and come off in thin layers or laminae.
- (transitive) To remove the scales of.
- (intransitive) To become scaly; to produce or develop scales.
- (UK, Scotland, dialect) To scatter; to spread.
- (transitive) To clean, as the inside of a cannon, by the explosion of a small quantity of powder.
- (manufacturing, transitive) To take measurements from (an engineering drawing), treating them as (or as if) reliable dimensional instructions. This practice often works but can produce latently incorrect results and is thus usually deprecated.
- (intransitive, computing) To tolerate significant increases in throughput or other potentially limiting factors.
- (transitive) To strip or clear of scale; to descale.
- measure by or as if by a scale
- climb up by means of a ladder
- take by attacking with scaling ladders
- reach the highest point of
- remove the scales from
- measure with or as if with scales
- pattern, make, regulate, set, measure, or estimate according to some rate or standard
- size or measure according to a scale
- A stain or disfiguring mark.
- (soccer) Penalty spot.
- The act of spotting or noticing something.
- (US, advertising) A brief advertisement or program segment on television.
- (sports) An official determination of placement.
- A bright lamp; a spotlight.
- A pimple, papule or pustule.
- A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape.
- A small, unspecified amount or quantity.
- A symbol on a playing card, domino, die, etc. indicating its value; a pip.
- Any of the balls marked with spots in the game of pool, which one player aims to pot, the other player taking the stripes.
- (finance) A decimal point; point.
- A parking space.
- (gymnastics, dance, weightlifting) One who spots (supports or assists a maneuver, or is prepared to assist if safety dictates); a spotter.
- (physics) An autosoliton.
- A location or area.
- Any of various points marked on the table, from which balls are played, in snooker, pool, billiards, etc.
- (slang, US) A bill of five-dollar or ten-dollar denomination in dollars.
- A food fish (Leiostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast of the United States, with a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides.
- A difficult situation.
- A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above the beak.
- The southern redfish, or red horse (Sciaenops ocellatus), which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail.
- a lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer
- a small piece or quantity of something
- a business establishment for entertainment
- a mark on a die or on a playing card (shape depending on the suit)
- a short section or illustration (as between radio or tv programs or in a magazine) that is often used for advertising
- a point located with respect to surface features of some region
- a blemish made by dirt
- a section of an entertainment that is assigned to a specific performer or performance
- a small contrasting part of something
- an act that brings discredit to the person who does it
- a slight attack of illness
- an outstanding characteristic
- a playing card with a specified number of pips on it to indicate its value
- (transitive, gymnastics, dance, weightlifting, climbing) To support or assist a maneuver, or to be prepared to assist if safety dictates.
- (rail transport, transitive) To position (a locomotive or car) at a predetermined point, e.g., for loading or unloading.
- (dialectal) To rain slightly, in scattered, infrequent drops, for example when first beginning to rain.
- (ambitransitive) To stain; to leave a spot (on).
- (transitive) To remove, or attempt to remove, a stain.
- (transitive, dance) To keep the head and eyes pointing in a single direction while turning.
- (transitive) To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation.
- (transitive, chiefly snooker and billiards) To place (an object) at a location indicated by a spot.
- (US, slang, ditransitive) To loan a small amount of money to someone.
- To experience vaginal spotting; to expel blood from the vagina.
- (intransitive, snooker and billiards) Of a ball, to be capable of being placed on its own spot.
- (aviation, military, transitive) To position (an aircraft) on the deck of an aircraft carrier ready for launch by catapult.
- (transitive) To cut or chip (timber) in preparation for hewing.
- (transitive) To cover with spots, to speckle.
- (transitive) To retouch a photograph on film to remove minor flaws.
- (transitive) To see, find; to pick out, notice, locate, distinguish or identify.
- catch sight of
- mar or impair with a flaw
- mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition
- detect with the senses
- become spotted
- make a spot or mark onto
- Something wound around another thing.
- (especially in the plural) A curving, sinuous, or twisting form.
- (agriculture, chiefly attributive) The act of winnowing (“subjecting food grain to a current of air to separate the grain from the chaff”).
- (music) The act of blowing air through a wind instrument or (chiefly) a horn to make a sound.
- (lutherie) Synonym of lapping (“lengths of fine silk, metal wire, or whalebone wrapped tightly around the stick of the bow of a string instrument adjacent to the leather part of the bow grip at the heel”).
- Sometimes followed by up: the act of hoisting something using a winch or a similar device.
- The act of twisting something, or coiling or wrapping something around another thing.
- (especially in the plural) A curving, sinuous, or twisting movement; twists and turns.
- (figurative, chiefly in the plural) Twists and turns in an occurrence, in thinking, or some other thing; also, moral crookedness; craftiness, shiftiness.
- Chiefly followed by up: the act of tightening the spring of a clockwork or other mechanism.
- (British, nautical) The act or process of turning a boat or ship in a certain direction.
- (electrical engineering) A length of wire wound around the armature of an electric motor or the core of an electrical transformer.
- the act of winding or twisting
- Chiefly of a staircase: helical, spiral.
- (not comparable, music) Of a horn or wind instrument: blown to make a sound.
- (comparable) Causing one to be breathless or out of breath.
- Moving in a sinuous or twisting manner.
- (figurative) Of speech, writing, etc.: not direct or to the point; rambling, roundabout.
- Sinuous, turning, or twisting in form.
- marked by repeated turns and bends
- of a path e.g.
- (Bristol) A scab on a wound.
- A swift runner.
- (uncountable) A loose formation of small ragged cloud fragments (or fog) not attached to a larger higher cloud layer.
- Clouds or rain(s) (or snow, etc) driven by the wind.
- (slang, uncountable, Scotland) The drink Irn-Bru.
- The act of scudding.
- A small flight of larks, or other birds, less than a flock.
- (slang, uncountable, Scotland) Pornography.
- A form of garden hoe.
- Any swimming amphipod, usually Gammarus
- A slap; a sharp stroke.
- A gust of wind.
- the act of moving along swiftly (as before a gale)
- (Northumbria) To hit or slap.
- (Northumbria) To skim flat stones so they skip along the water.
- (intransitive) To race along swiftly (especially used of clouds).
- (Northumbria) To speed.
- To scrape (skins) to remove hair etc. as part of the tanning process.
- (ambitransitive, nautical) To run, or be driven, before a high wind with few or no sails set.
- run or move very quickly or hastily
- run before a gale
- A ridge or lump on the skin, as caused by a blow.
- In carpentry, a strip of wood fastened over a flush seam or joint, or an angle, to strengthen it.
- A strip, especially one around the edge of something (for example, in some old heraldry).
- (shoemaking) A strip of leather set into the seam between the outsole of a shoe and the upper, through which these parts are joined by stitching or stapling.
- In machine-made stockings, a strip, or flap, of which the heel is formed.
- A strip of material or covered cord applied to a seam or garment edge to strengthen or cover it.
- In steam boilers and sheet-iron work, a strip riveted upon the edges of plates that form a butt joint.
- a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions
- a raised or strengthened seam
- A speckle or spot, especially on the body of an animal.
- A shiny particle of a mineral.
- A point of light; also (rare), a glitter, a sparkle.
- (figuratively) A star.
- A small, flat piece of sparkling metallic or metal-like material with a hole which is sewn on to a garment, etc., for decoration; a sequin.
- Any small sparkling object.
- Any of a number of swallowtail butterflies (genus Papilio); specifically Papilio protenor.
- adornment consisting of a small piece of shiny material used to decorate clothing
- A small chink or crack.
- a mark left after a small piece has been chopped or broken off of something
- An inspection or examination.
- (falconry) The forsaking by a hawk of its proper game to follow other birds. [from 15th c.]
- A lengthwise separation through the growth rings in wood.
- Any fabric woven with such a pattern.
- (US) An order to a bank to pay money to a named person or entity.
- A token used instead of cash in various contexts, including sign-out of company property or collection of rations (dated), in gaming machines, or in gambling generally.
- (chess) A situation in which the king is directly threatened by an opposing piece.
- (US) A bill, particularly in a restaurant.
- (textiles, usually pluralized) A pattern made up of a grid of squares of alternating colors; a checkered pattern.
- A control; a limit or stop.
- A mark, certificate, or token by which errors may be prevented, or a thing or person may be identified.
- (contact sports) A maneuver performed by a player to take another player out of the play.
- (US) A mark (especially a checkmark: ✓) used as an indicator.
- a textile pattern of squares or crossed lines (resembling a checkerboard)
- obstructing an opponent in ice hockey
- the act of inspecting or verifying
- the bill in a restaurant
- the state of inactivity following an interruption
- additional proof that something that was believed (some fact or hypothesis or theory) is correct
- something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
- (chess) a direct attack on an opponent's king
- the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess
- an appraisal of the state of affairs
- a written order directing a bank to pay money
- a mark indicating that something has been noted or completed etc.
- (nautical) To slack or ease off, as a brace which is too stiffly extended.
- (intransitive) To check out, make sense or prove to be the case after verification or interrogation.
- (transitive) To leave with a shipping agent for shipping.
- (transitive) To make checks or chinks in; to cause to crack.
- To act as a curb or restraint.
- (informal, transitive) To scold or rebuke someone.
- (transitive) To mark with a check pattern.
- (poker, transitive) To announce that one is remaining in a hand without betting.
- (transitive) To verify the accuracy of a text or translation, usually making some corrections (proofread) or many (copyedit).
- (intransitive, with at) To make a stop; to pause.
- (transitive) To control, limit, or halt.
- (street basketball, transitive) To pass or bounce the ball to an opponent from behind the three-point line and have the opponent pass or bounce it back to start play.
- (chess, transitive) To make a move which puts an adversary's king in check; to put in check.
- (transitive, US, often used with "off") To mark items on a list (with a checkmark or by crossing them out) that have been chosen for keeping or removal or that have been dealt with (for example, completed or verified as correct or satisfactory).
- To crack or gape open, as wood in drying; or to crack in small checks, as varnish, paint, etc.
- (transitive) To chide, rebuke, or reprove.
- (falconry) To turn, when in pursuit of proper game, and fly after other birds.
- (sports, transitive) To disrupt another player with the stick or body to obtain possession of the ball or puck.
- (transitive) To verify or compare with a source of information.
- (transitive) To leave in safekeeping.
- (transitive) To inspect; to examine.
- place into check
- develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control
- slow the growth or development of
- hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of
- abandon the intended prey, turn, and pursue an inferior prey
- hand over something to somebody as for temporary safekeeping
- put a check mark on or near or next to
- stop for a moment, as if out of uncertainty or caution
- block or impede (a player from the opposing team) in ice hockey
- be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something
- consign for shipment on a vehicle
- find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort
- be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
- stop in a chase especially when scent is lost
- make an examination or investigation
- verify by consulting a source or authority
- make cracks or chinks in
- examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
- lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits
- be verified or confirmed; pass inspection
- write out a check on a bank account
- become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
- mark into squares or draw squares on; draw crossed lines on
- decline to initiate betting
- arrest the motion (of something) abruptly
- The act or sound of something being scratched.
- (UK, in the plural) A piece of deep-fried batter left over from frying fish, sometimes sold with chips.
- A pork scratching.
- Record scratching, a technique of starting and stopping a vinyl record from playing to produce music in hip hop.
- a harsh noise made by scraping
- (colloquial) A mark of a soiled finger wiped on a surface.
- Any other mark or stain left on a surface from a sliding or rubbing object.
- A black mark left on a road surface from the sliding or skidding tires of a motor vehicle that has lost traction.
- Any burn on the skin caused by scraping the skin against a surface.
- (colloquial, humorous, euphemistic) A visible feces stain left on underpants, trousers, or sometimes the toilet bowl.
- a mark left after a small piece has been chopped or broken off of something
- a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
- a thin crisp slice of potato fried in deep fat
- electronic equipment consisting of a small crystal of a silicon semiconductor fabricated to carry out a number of electronic functions in an integrated circuit
- a small disk-shaped counter used to represent money when gambling
- the act of chipping something
- a piece of dried bovine dung
- (golf) a low running approach shot
- a triangular wooden float attached to the end of a log line
- The smallest amount; a whit or jot.
- (US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, especially in the plural) A thin, crisp, fried slice of potato, a crisp; occasionally a similar fried slice of another vegetable or dried fruit.
- (New Zealand, northern) A receptacle, usually for strawberries or other fruit.
- A small rectangle of colour printed on coated paper for colour selection and matching. A virtual equivalent in software applications.
- A damaged area of a surface where a small piece has been broken off.
- (golf) A low shot, usually played at short range around and onto a green, intended to travel a short distance through the air and roll the remainder of the way towards the hole.
- (tennis) A light shot with a downward slice, usually played from close to the net.
- A medallion.
- (nautical) The triangular piece of wood attached to the log line.
- (electronics) A hybrid device mounted in a substrate, containing electronic circuitry and miniaturised mechanical, chemical or biochemical devices.
- (electronics) A circuit fabricated in one piece on a small, thin substrate; a microchip.
- A small piece broken from a larger piece of solid material.
- A dried piece of dung, often used as fuel.
- (games, gambling) A token used in place of cash.
- (historical) Wood or Cuban palm leaf split into slips, or straw plaited in a special manner, for making hats or bonnets.
- (billiards) A very light shot that hits the cue ball so softly that it barely moves an object ball into a pocket without the cue ball going in as well.
- (curling) A takeout that hits a rock at an angle.
- (sports such as soccer) A shot during which the ball travels more predominantly upwards than in a regular shot, as to clear an obstacle.
- (cooking) A small, near-conical piece of food added in baking.
- play a chip shot
- form by chipping
- cut a nick into
- break off (a piece from a whole)
- break a small piece off from
- (UK, slang, intransitive) To leave.
- (intransitive, dialectal) To use a chisel.
- (transitive, dialectal) To chisel (something), to chisel on (something).
- (transitive, sports such as soccer) To beat (an opposing player) by use of a chip shot, such as by looping the ball over the head of the opposing goalkeeper.
- (transitive, automotive) To upgrade an engine management system, usually to increase power.
- (UK, transitive, often with "in") To contribute.
- (intransitive) To become chipped.
- (transitive, billiards) To move (a ball) a relatively short distance by means of an oblique contact.
- (transitive) To break small pieces from.
- (transitive, sports) To strike or play (the ball or other implement) as a chip shot.
- (also to chip at) To make fun of.
- (transitive) To chop or cut into small pieces.
- (intransitive, card games, often with "in") To ante (up).
- (transitive, informal) To fit (an animal) with a microchip.
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- (of a surface) To get such scratches.
- (music) To produce a distinctive sound on a turntable by moving a vinyl record back and forth while manipulating the crossfader (see also scratching).
- (ambitransitive) To dig or excavate with the claws.
- To write or draw hastily or awkwardly; scrawl.
- To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.
- Hence, to remove, ignore, or delete.
- To dig or scrape (a person's skin) with claws or fingernails in self-defense or with the intention to injure.
- To cross out, strike out, strike through some text on a page.
- To mark a surface with a sharp object, thereby leaving a scratch (noun).
- (billiards) To commit a foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.
- (swimming, athletics) To announce one's non-participation in a race or sports event part of a larger sports meeting that one was previously signed up for, usually in lieu of another event at the same meeting.
- To rub the skin with rough material causing a sensation of irritation; to cause itching.
- To irritate someone's skin with one's unshaven beard when kissing.
- scrape or rub as if to relieve itching
- postpone indefinitely or annul something that was scheduled
- gather (money or other resources) together over time
- cause friction
- remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line
- cut the surface of; wear away the surface of
- carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
- A disruption, mark or shallow cut on a surface made by scratching.
- an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off
- A foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.
- Poor handwriting; especially, illegibly so.
- (music) A genre of Virgin Islander music, better known as fungi.
- A feed, usually a mixture of a few common grains, given to chickens.
- A starting line (originally and simply, a line scratched in the ground), as in boxing.
- 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.
- (in the plural) 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.
- (meiosis) A minor injury.
- (cycling) The last riders to depart in a handicap race.
- An act of scratching the skin to alleviate an itch or irritation.
- Nothing, zero. Used especially in card games or sports, but also expressions like "from scatch".
- (now historical) A scratch wig.
- (horse racing) A horse withdrawn from a race prior to the start.
- (slang) Money; especially, cash.
- a harsh noise made by scraping
- a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game
- informal terms for money
- (golf) a handicap of zero strokes
- a competitor who has withdrawn from competition
- an indication of damage
- a depression scratched or carved into a surface
- dry mash for poultry
- poor handwriting
- (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.
- (computing) Relating to a scratchpad, a data structure or recording medium attached to a machine for testing or temporary use.
- For or consisting of preliminary or tentative, incomplete, etc. work.
- Hastily assembled, arranged or constructed, from whatever materials are to hand, with little or no preparation
- appear on the skin
- become active and spew forth lava and rocks
- force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up
- become raw or open
- start to burn or burst into flames
- start abruptly
- erupt or intensify suddenly
- break out
- (intransitive, biology) (Of birds, insects, etc.) To suddenly appear in a certain region in large numbers.
- (intransitive) To burst forth; to break out.
- (intransitive, figuratively) To spontaneously release pressure or tension.
- (intransitive) To eject something violently (such as lava or water, as from a volcano or geyser).
- A broad, shallow injury left by scraping (rather than a cut or a scratch).
- an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off
- (heraldry) A diminutive of the bend (especially of the bend sinister) which is half its width.
- A shallow depression used by ground birds as a nest; a nest scrape.
- (British, slang) A D and C or abortion; or, a miscarriage.
- An awkward set of circumstances.
- An intermittent shallow pond in a wetland or floodplain, often artificially created to attract birds.
- (military) A shallow pit dug as a hideout.
- (slang) A fight, especially a fistfight without weapons.
- (UK, slang) A shave.
- The sound or action of something being scraped.
- Something removed by being scraped; a thin layer of something such as butter on bread.
- a harsh noise made by scraping
- a deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility)
- an indication of damage
- scratch repeatedly
- (transitive) To injure or damage by rubbing across a surface.
- (intransitive) To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow.
- (transitive) To remove (something) by drawing an object along in this manner.
- To express disapprobation of (a play, etc.) or to silence (a speaker) by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; usually with down.
- (intransitive) To occupy oneself with getting laboriously.
- (ambitransitive) To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or similar instrument.
- (transitive) To barely manage to achieve or attain.
- (computing, transitive) To extract data by automated means from a format not intended to be machine-readable, such as a screenshot or a formatted web page.
- (transitive) To collect or gather, especially without regard to the quality of what is chosen.
- (ambitransitive) To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.
- bruise, cut, or injure the skin or the surface of
- make by scraping
- gather (money or other resources) together over time
- cut the surface of; wear away the surface of
- bend the knees and bow in a servile manner
- scratch repeatedly
- make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together
- reduce to small shreds or pulverize by rubbing against a rough or sharp perforated surface
- furnish with a grate
- gnaw into; make resentful or angry
- (by extension, transitive) To annoy.
- (intransitive) To make an unpleasant rasping sound, often as the result of rubbing against something.
- (transitive) To furnish with grates; to protect with a grating or crossbars.
- (by extension, intransitive) To get on one's nerves; to irritate, annoy.
- (transitive, cooking) To shred (things, usually foodstuffs), by rubbing across a grater.
- a frame of iron bars to hold a fire
- a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air
- a harsh rasping sound made by scraping something
- A horizontal metal grill through which liquid, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.
- (historical) A grapper, a metal ring on a lance behind the grip.
- A frame or bed, or kind of basket, of iron bars, for holding fuel while burning.
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- Characterized by scratches.
- (informal, of an analogue radio transmission) Noisy, lossy; marred by white noise or static as a result of poor or low signal, interference or unfavourable atmospheric conditions.
- (of a phonograph record) Having popping and/or crackling sounds due to excessive wear, especially from scratch marks.
- (chiefly of a sore throat) Irritating; itchy.
- (informal) Irritable; tetchy.
- unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
- easily irritated or annoyed
- causing abrasion
- lacking consistency
- Having a rough texture; scratchy.
- Characterised by scrabbling, or digging around.
- Rough, poor and uncultured.
- Scribbly.
- Impoverished, hardscrabble
- Stunted.
- Of poor quality; poorly maintained.
- Sparse and scraggly.
- Thrown together; disorganized or slapdash.
- Covered in loose rocks or crumbling soil.
- Characterized by sparse, stunted vegetation, infertile.
- Difficult to negotiate; requiring scrambling.
- sparsely covered with stunted trees or vegetation and underbrush