scab

noun \ ˈskab \

Definition of scab

1 :scabies of domestic animals

2 :a crust of hardened blood and serum over a wound

3 a :a contemptible person

b (1) :a worker who refuses to join a labor union

(2) :a union member who refuses to strike or returns to work before a strike has ended

(3) :a worker who accepts employment or replaces a union worker during a strike

(4) :one who works for less than union wages or on nonunion terms

4 :any of various bacterial or fungus diseases of plants characterized by crustaceous spots; also :one of the spots

See scab defined for English-language learners

See scab defined for kids

Recent Examples of scab from the Web

Scabs This was our favorite and the most realistic looking blood mixture.

— gabriella vigoreaux, Good Housekeeping, "How to Make Fake Blood for Halloween," 23 Aug. 2017
After some truly disgusting scab-picking and the application of ointment, Jorah was cured.

— meredith blake, latimes.com, "Apparently all the great secrets of Westeros are just sitting there at the library," 19 Aug. 2017
Apple scab is one of the more serious diseases of ornamental crab apples and is caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis.

— tim johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Sickly leaves, falling fruit signal common disease in crab apples," 14 Aug. 2017
Also, never dismiss sudden skin abnormalities, especially unexplained lesions or scabs.

— sophie wirt, Allure, "This Woman's "Pimple" Turned Out to Be Life-Threatening Skin Cancer," 11 Aug. 2017
But since that day, mysterious scabs began to form all over my body.

— TIME.com, "Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki share their stories," 6 Aug. 2017
The cure for greyscale is literally picking it off the body like a scab?

— julie kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Game of Thrones Season 7 Is a Disappointment So Far," 2 Aug. 2017
Another indictor is that the shingles rash blisters before drying and forming scabs, says Dr. Watkins.

— korin miller, SELF, "WTF Is Shingles, Actually?," 17 July 2017
Her dad said her only complaint over the next couple of days was itching on her head, where the scab was.

— kwegyirba croffie, CNN, "Tick bite temporarily paralyzes 3-year-old," 22 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scab.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of scab

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Swedish skabbr scab; akin to Old English sceabb scab, Latin scabere to scratch — more at shave

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

scab

verb

Definition of scab

scabbed; scabbing

intransitive verb

1 :to become covered with a scab

2 :to act as a scab

Recent Examples of scab from the Web

The blisters typically scab over in seven to 10 days, and can take up to four weeks to clear up.

— korin miller, SELF, "Yes, Shingles Is Contagious—Kind of," 17 July 2017

First Known Use of scab

1683

SCAB Defined for English Language Learners

scab

noun

Definition of scab for English Language Learners

: a hard covering of dried blood that forms over a wound to cover and protect it as it heals
: a worker who does not join a strike or who takes the place of another worker who is on strike