scrape

1 of 2

verb

scraped; scraping

transitive verb

1
a
: to remove from a surface by usually repeated strokes of an edged instrument
b
: to make (a surface) smooth or clean with strokes of an edged instrument or an abrasive
2
a
: to grate harshly over or against
b
: to damage or injure the surface of by contact with a rough surface
c
: to draw roughly or noisily over a surface
3
: to collect by or as if by scraping
often used with up or together
scrape up the price of a ticket

intransitive verb

1
: to move in sliding contact with a rough surface
2
: to accumulate money by small economies
3
: to draw back the foot along the ground in making a bow
4
: to make one's way with difficulty : barely manage or succeed
just scraped through at school
working two jobs and barely scraping by
scraper noun

scrape

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the act or process of scraping
b
: a sound made by scraping
c
: a mark or injury caused by scraping : abrasion
bumps and scrapes
2
a
: the nest of a bird consisting of a usually shallow depression in the ground
b
: a cleared area on the forest floor made by a male deer during breeding season to attract a doe
3
: a bow made with a drawing back of the foot along the ground
4
a
: a distressing encounter
a scrape with death

Examples of scrape in a Sentence

Verb Someone had scraped the car with a key. I scraped one of the chairs while bringing it up the stairs. I scraped my knee when I fell. fingernails scraping against a blackboard the sound of chairs scraping on the floor as people stood to leave The boat scraped against the edge of the dock. She scraped her fingernails across the blackboard. The deer scraped its antlers against the tree. Scrape the seeds into a bowl. Scrape the paint from the wood. Noun There's a scrape on the fender that wasn't there yesterday. I got a scrape on my knee when I fell. We survived the accident with a few minor bumps and scrapes. She got into a few scrapes with the police when she was younger. the scrape of fingernails on a blackboard
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In the summer of 1968, Chisholm scraped out a narrow victory in the Democratic primary. Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024 Before the site was taken offline, a researcher scraped all of Parler’s public posts, which included location data. Makena Kelly, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024 The film scraped together just $1.25 million from 1,146 venues — a smaller screen count than the average wide release. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024 Probing Planet Proton The Jefferson Lab physicists scraped together a few two-photon scattering events in 2000. Quanta Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 These accounts of children’s deaths just scrape the surface of the suffering that’s out there. Frank H. McCourt Jr., Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 The offspring use special teeth to scrape it off as a meal. Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 Musk has also complained that OpenAI and its biggest partner and investor, Microsoft, have scraped his social media company X for data to train their AI models. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Obituary spam is an especially grim type of digital piracy, where people attempt to make money by scraping and republishing death notices, sometimes on social platforms like YouTube. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, necrotizing fasciitis is a flesh-eating disease caused by a rare bacterial infection, which develops after bacteria enters the body through cuts, scrapes, burns or insect bites. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2024 Like its carry-on counterpart, its expandable zipper guarantees extra packing space (up to 1.75 inches' worth) and the 29-inch suitcase's hard-shell exterior will endure any drops, scrapes, and spills from the baggage carousel. Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2023 Another shows a close-up of the bruising and scrapes on Leo's face. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024 They were then scrutinized for scrapes, cuts and other markings in order to better understand early autopsy and dissection procedures, which are typically not differentiated, according to a study published on Feb. 9 in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2024 Saltwater is rich with minerals like magnesium, zinc, iron, and potassium, which all help reduce inflammation, protect the skin, and heal any scrapes, cuts, or sores. Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile the buck spent close to 10 minutes within 20 yards of me making a scrape and just watching the does. Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 31 Jan. 2024 At the time of his death, Neely's neck also suffered bruises, scrapes, bleeding and some of the muscles in his neck had hemorrhaged, according to the medical examiner, Wiley said. USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 Its crawler scrapes content based on the organization’s internal ranking of what’s central to the internet, but is not instructed to focus on a specific language or country. Szu Yu Chen, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scrape.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old Norse skrapa; akin to Old English scrapian to scrape, Latin scrobis ditch, Russian skresti to scrape

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrape was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near scrape

Cite this Entry

“Scrape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrape. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scrape

1 of 2 verb
scraped; scraping
1
a
: to remove by repeated strokes of an edged tool
scrape off rust
b
: to clean or smooth by rubbing
2
a
: to rub or cause to rub so as to make a harsh noise
b
: to damage or injure by dragging or rubbing against a rough surface
scraped his knee on the pavement
3
a
: to gather with difficulty and little by little
scrape together a few dollars
b
: to barely get by
scraped through with low grades
scraper noun

scrape

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the act or process of scraping
b
: a sound, mark, or injury made by scraping
2
: a bow made with a pulling back of the foot
3
a
: a disagreeable situation

More from Merriam-Webster on scrape

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!