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Added 9 October 2026

scrape

/skɹeɪp/ noun

Categories: ActionsDescribing WordsRare Words

In Latin: rādō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about scrape at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A harsh noise made by scraping.
    the scrape of violin bows distracted her
  2. An abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off.
  3. A deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility).
    all that bowing and scraping did not impress him

verb

  1. Scratch repeatedly.
    The cat scraped at the armchair
  2. Make by scraping.
    They scraped a letter into the stone
  3. Cut the surface of; wear away the surface of.

Origin

From Middle English scrapen, from Old Norse skrapa (“to scrape, scratch”) and Old English scrapian (“to scrape, scratch”), both from Proto-Germanic *skrapōną, *skrepaną (“to scrape, scratch”), from Proto-Indo-European *skrebʰ- (“to engrave”). Cognate with Dutch schrapen (“to scrape”), schrappen (“to strike through; to cancel; to scrap”), schrabben (“to scratch”), German schrappen (“to scrape”), Danish skrabe (“to scrape”), Icelandic skrapa (“to scrape”), Walloon screper (“to scrape”), Latin scribō (“dig with a pen, draw, write”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: scratchingscratchabradeabrasionexcoriationstubgenuflectkowtowscarmark

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