✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

scouring

noun

scour·​ing ˈskau̇(-ə)r-iŋ How to pronounce scouring (audio)
1
: material removed by scouring or cleaning
2
: the lowest rank of society
usually used in plural

Examples of scouring in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Avoid abrasive cleaners and tools, such as steel wool, scouring pads, bleach, and ammonia. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2025 The strategic use of tools, like a non-scratch scrub sponge, will lend additional scouring power to milder cleaning agents. Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2025 Current solutions include using chloramine as a disinfectant, periodic backwashing to prevent biofilms from forming on the membrane, and air scouring. Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025 That’s an advantageous position to snatch diamonds in the rough discarded by other teams, but the Giants may not be active scouring waivers. Dan Duggan, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scouring

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scouring was in 1588

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scouring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scouring. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on scouring

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!