scarecrow

play

noun scare·crow \ ˈsker-ˌkrō \

Definition of scarecrow

1 a :an object usually suggesting a human figure that is set up to frighten birds away from crops

b :something frightening but harmless

2 :a skinny or ragged person

See scarecrow defined for English-language learners

See scarecrow defined for kids

Recent Examples of scarecrow from the Web

Visitors browse more than 1,300 booths and see all sorts of contests: pie-eating, scarecrow, quilt and needlework.

— katherine rodeghier, Detroit Free Press, "Take a trip to Wisconsin's cranberry marshes," 27 Aug. 2017
Still others invite you down on the farm, where the food comes from the back 40, and there's never any rain on the scarecrow or blood on the plow.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "The rural fantasy of Blue Door Farm Stand," 24 Aug. 2017
Bailee Madison The Bridge to Terabithia and Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh star once thought accepting a freaky scarecrow from a shady dude was a good idea to save her family's land. 4.

— stacey grant, Seventeen, "17 Actors You Totally Forgot Guest-Starred On "R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour"," 14 Aug. 2017
Francine Murphy-Terry To tell the story of this artist's family migration from Alabama to Akron by creating storytelling workshops based on the Frappe Sipps, a family of funny scarecrows made in soft sculpture that sip tea and frappe punch.

— hannah drown, cleveland.com, "4 tips to prepare perfect gluten-free pancakes: Gluten-Free in the CLE," 14 Aug. 2017
One of my more creative friends built a scaredeer — a scary version of a scarecrow with a real deer skull.

— kevin ambrose, Washington Post, "Want to keep the deer out of your garden? Here’s what works.," 14 Aug. 2017
There’s a gangly horned demon, a creeping black mist, a living scarecrow and a ghostly little girl.

— jon niccum, kansascity, "‘Annabelle: Creation’ is more irritating than haunting," 10 Aug. 2017
Will the true Scarecrow finally debut, or is this another red herring?

— sydney bucksbaum, The Hollywood Reporter, "DC TV Watch: Breaking Down All the Comic-Con News," 28 July 2017
Draw a cat-eye and then draw additional flicks that resemble the stitches of a scarecrow.

— brooke shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "11 Halloween Looks You Can Create With Makeup You Already Have," 30 June 2017

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

First Known Use of scarecrow

1573

SCARECROW Defined for English Language Learners

scarecrow

play

noun

Definition of scarecrow for English Language Learners

: an object that looks like a person and that is placed in a field to scare birds away from crops

SCARECROW Defined for Kids

scarecrow

play

noun scare·crow \ ˈsker-ˌkrō \

Definition of scarecrow for Students

:an object made to look like a person and set up to scare birds away from crops

Learn More about scarecrow

See words that rhyme with scarecrow Spanish Central: Translation of scarecrow Nglish: Translation of scarecrow for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scarecrow

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up scarecrow? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

scarecrow

Definition of scarecrow

Recent Examples of scarecrow from the Web

First Known Use of scarecrow

SCARECROW Defined for English Language Learners

scarecrow

Definition of scarecrow for English Language Learners

SCARECROW Defined for Kids

scarecrow

Definition of scarecrow for Students

Learn More about scarecrow

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

toothsome

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Add Diction

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

scarecrow

Definition of scarecrow

Explore M-W

Recent Examples of scarecrow from the Web

First Known Use of scarecrow

SCARECROW Defined for English Language Learners

scarecrow

Definition of scarecrow for English Language Learners

SCARECROW Defined for Kids

scarecrow

Definition of scarecrow for Students

Learn More about scarecrow

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066