scratch

verb \ ˈskrach \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of scratch

transitive verb

1 : to scrape or dig with the claws or nails

2 : to rub and tear or mark the surface of with something sharp or jagged

3 a : to scrape or rub lightly (as to relieve itching)

b : to act on (a desire) —used with itch

scratch the itch to travel

4 : to scrape together : collect with difficulty or by effort

scratch out a living

5 : to write or draw on a surface

6 a : to cancel or erase by or as if by drawing a line through

b : to withdraw (an entry) from competition

7 : scribble, scrawl

8 : to scrape along a rough surface

scratch a match

intransitive verb

1 : to use the claws or nails in digging, tearing, or wounding

2 : to scrape or rub oneself lightly (as to relieve itching)

3 : to gather money or make a living by hard work and especially through irregular means and sacrifice

had to scratch and save for college

4 a : to make a thin grating sound

b : to produce a rhythmic scratching sound by or as if by moving a phonograph record back and forth under a phonograph needle

5 : to withdraw from a contest or engagement

6 : to make a scratch in billiards or pool

—

scratcher

noun

— scratch one's back

: to accommodate with a favor especially in expectation of like return

— scratch one's head

: to be or become confused or perplexed

— scratch the surface

: to make a modest effort or start

See scratch defined for English-language learners

See scratch defined for kids

scratch was our Word of the Day on 03/06/2009. Hear the podcast!

Examples of scratch in a Sentence

Will you scratch my back for me?
Scratching the itch only makes it worse.
The dog scratched its ear.
You shouldn't scratch. It'll just make your itch worse.
Thorns scratched our legs as we climbed through the briars.
Careful, the cat will scratch.
The dog was scratching at the door.
Be careful not to scratch the table.
Someone scratched the paint on my car.
The little boy scratched lines in the dirt with a stick.

Recent Examples of scratch from the Web

Lavrov also scratched an old Russian itch about previous Western interventions in the Middle East.

— tim lister, CNN, "Syria strikes: The real impact is in Moscow," 14 Apr. 2018
This study just scratches the surface of the sheer number and variety of viruses that are out there, says lead study author Yong-Zhen Zhang, a virologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing.

— giorgia guglielmi, Scientific American, "Huge Trove of Unknown Viruses Found in Fish, Frogs and Reptiles," 5 Apr. 2018
FW Dunbar People might be scratching their heads on this one as the Wildcats have gone 12-20 the past three years.

— brian gosset, star-telegram, "DFW's top 5 Class 4A football teams to watch in 2018 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 2 Apr. 2018
Critics, though, are scratching their heads over the technical challenges, high costs, and practicality.

— david ewing duncan, WIRED, "The Next Best Version of Me: How to Live Forever," 27 Mar. 2018
Even its grossest perversities are disappointingly harmless, scratches on the surface that barely leave a bruise.

— becca rothfeld, The New Republic, "J.G. Ballard’s Eerily Accurate Dystopias," 14 Mar. 2018
There were other causes of concern: diaper rash, allegations of scratching, evidence of poor nutrition.

— cleve r. wootson jr., miamiherald, "Day-care owner told parents to stay away during nap time. But bad things kept happening | Miami Herald," 11 Mar. 2018
However, Pence’s office said later that a potential meeting between the two sides was scratched at the last minute by the North Koreans after Pence condemned human rights violations and new economic sanctions were announced.

— errin haines whack, The Seattle Times, "Ivanka Trump: Visit to Olympics ‘so incredibly inspiring’," 24 Feb. 2018
Nor does scratching away at pieces of paper to reveal the sketches and drawings Florence makes.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "Florence’s breezy, slice-of-life romance is a refreshing take on gaming," 15 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of scratch

Middle English scracchen, probably blend of scratten to scratch and cracchen to scratch

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

scratch Synonyms

scratch

noun

Definition of scratch

1 : a mark or injury produced by scratching; also : a slight wound

2 : scrawl, scribble

3 : the sound made by scratching

4 : the starting line in a race

5 a : a test of courage

b : satisfactory condition, level, or performance

not up to scratch

6 : a contestant whose name is withdrawn

7 : poultry feed (such as mixed grains) scattered on the litter or ground especially to induce birds to exercise — called also scratch feed

8 a : a shot in billiards or pool that ends a player's turn; specifically : a shot in pool in which the cue ball falls into the pocket

b : a shot that scores by chance : fluke

9 slang : money, funds

— from scratch

1 : from a point at which nothing has been done ahead of time

build a school system from scratch

2 : without using a prepared mixture of ingredients

bake a cake from scratch

See scratch defined for English-language learners

Examples of scratch in a Sentence

There's a scratch in the paint on the new car!
The table is an antique but it doesn't have any dents or scratches.
I got a scratch on my leg when I climbed the fence.
The only sound in the room during the test was the scratch of pencils on paper.
We don't have the scratch to buy a new car.

Recent Examples of scratch from the Web

That would make Jori Lehtera a healthy scratch, even though his fourth line played well Wednesday.

— sam carchidi, Philly.com, "Observations from the Flyers' most embarrassing Game 1 playoff loss ever," 12 Apr. 2018
Kale! Coconut oil! Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter! in blue scratch.

— kate branch, Vogue, "A Guide to Going Vegan Like Beyoncé," 11 Apr. 2018
Byrd's oldest son was also thrown from the van but just suffered minor scratches, Robbins said.

— max londberg, kansascity, "Woman faces felony in Lee's Summit crash that killed her daughter, hurt 8 relatives | The Kansas City Star," 10 Apr. 2018
Ok~ Here’s a new #Tool song* Just recording the Drums w guitar & bass scratch tracks.

— mackenzie cummings-grady, Billboard, "Tool Share Studio Photos Hinting at New Music, Then Immediately Delete Them," 3 Apr. 2018
Cookie Brokers Cookies are made from scratch at this bakery on Grand Avenue in Phoenix.

— jennifer mcclellan, azcentral, "New restaurants in Phoenix in March: 37 openings in a month may set a record," 2 Apr. 2018
Deputy Sheriff Timothy Strickland is accused of pushing his wife of six years to the ground, causing bruising and scratches, the report said.

— isabelle d'antonio, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Polk deputy sheriff arrested on domestic battery charge," 1 Apr. 2018
Observed employee scratch back with bare hands and then handled squeeze bottle containing condiment while in cookline.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Rodents on water, in soda, on pipes get 13 South Florida restaurants cited. | Miami Herald," 30 Mar. 2018
And, the smallest field, short of scratches, is seven horses.

— john cherwa, latimes.com, "Racing! Jon White’s top 10 Kentucky Derby list is front and center," 30 Mar. 2018

Did You Know?

The phrase up to scratch has its origins in the world of sports. In the 18th century, scratch began to be used for a line or mark that served as the starting point in a contest or competition. In order to begin or continue a fight, for example, a pugilist would "come up to the scratch," positioning himself at a line drawn across the prize ring. Up to the scratch was soon being used figuratively of anyone who was ready and able to do something. Over the years, the usage of the phrase has evolved somewhat, but something that is "up to scratch" can still be said to be ready and able in that it is capable of functioning or performing as expected.

First Known Use of scratch

circa 1586

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

scratch

adjective

Definition of scratch

1 : arranged or put together with little selection : haphazard

a scratch team

2 : made as or used for a tentative effort

3 : made or done by chance and not as intended

a scratch shot

4 : having no handicap or allowance

a scratch golfer

5 : made from scratch : made with basic ingredients

a scratch cake

See scratch defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of scratch from the Web

In spring 2016, Kornmeyer ran the Scratch pop-up restaurant in Irvington in hopes of finding a permanent location.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "These are all the Indianapolis restaurant closings," 13 July 2017
The TechMatte screen protectors were extremely scratch-resilient compared to others, including protectors that cost more than $40.

— brian x. chen, New York Times, "Reality Check: What Does, and Doesn’t, Protect Your Smartphone," 24 May 2017
Guinness isn't owned by megabrewer AB InBev, but it is run by multi-national beverage company Diageo (also the world's largest whiskey producer), so scratch independence.

— matt allyn, Popular Mechanics, "Guinness Is Opening an American Brewery and This Is Why it Matters," 31 Jan. 2017
The TechMatte screen protectors were extremely scratch-resilient compared to others, including protectors that cost more than $40.

— brian x. chen, The Seattle Times, "What does, and doesn’t, protect your smartphone," 2 June 2017

First Known Use of scratch

1851

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

SCRATCH Defined for English Language Learners

scratch

verb

Definition of scratch for English Language Learners

: to rub your skin with something sharp (such as your fingernails) especially in order to stop an itch
: to make a shallow and narrow cut in (your skin) with something sharp (such as fingernails, claws, etc.)
: to rub a surface or object with something sharp or rough in a way that produces a harsh sound

scratch

noun

Definition of scratch for English Language Learners

: a line or mark in the surface of something that is caused by something rough or sharp rubbing against it
: a shallow and narrow cut in the skin that is caused by something sharp
: the sound made when something sharp rubs against a surface or object

scratch

adjective

Definition of scratch for English Language Learners

of a golfer : having no handicap
: put together quickly and without enough planning or thought

SCRATCH Defined for Kids

scratch

verb \ ˈskrach \

Definition of scratch for Students

scratched; scratching

1 : to scrape or rub lightly

scratch an itch

He scratched his head.

2 : to injure by scraping with something sharp

He scratched his thumb on a nail.

3 : to make a scraping noise

The dog was scratching at the door.

4 : to erase by scraping

I scratched out my mistake.

scratch

noun

Definition of scratch for Students

: a mark or injury made by scraping with something sharp

Learn More about scratch

See words that rhyme with scratch Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for scratch Spanish Central: Translation of scratch Nglish: Translation of scratch for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of scratch for Arabic speakers

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scratch

Definition of scratch

scratcher

scratch was our Word of the Day on 03/06/2009. Hear the podcast!

Examples of scratch in a Sentence

Recent Examples of scratch from the Web

Origin and Etymology of scratch

scratch Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

scratch

Definition of scratch

Examples of scratch in a Sentence

Recent Examples of scratch from the Web

Did You Know?

First Known Use of scratch

scratch

Definition of scratch

Recent Examples of scratch from the Web

First Known Use of scratch

SCRATCH Defined for English Language Learners

scratch

Definition of scratch for English Language Learners

scratch

Definition of scratch for English Language Learners

scratch

Definition of scratch for English Language Learners

SCRATCH Defined for Kids

scratch

Definition of scratch for Students

scratch

Definition of scratch for Students

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