scribble

scrib·ble | \ ˈskri-bəl

How to pronounce scribble (audio)

\

scribbled; scribbling\ ˈskri-b(ə-)liŋ

How to pronounce scribbling (audio)

\; scribbles

Definition of scribble

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive + intransitive

1 : to write or draw hastily or carelessly a note scribbled on the back of an envelope Harriet scribbled in her notebook as soon as she took her seat.— Louise Fitzhugh He took a stump of lead pencil out of his pocket and scribbled a moustache on the lion's upper lip and then a pair of spectacles on its eyes.— C. S. Lewis

2 : to fill or cover something with careless or worthless writings or drawings a scribbled envelope … papers … scribbled over with clues … — English Digest

scribble

plural scribbles

Definition of scribble (Entry 2 of 2)

: a piece of writing or a drawing that is done quickly or carelessly She could barely make out the doctor's scribble. a page covered with random scribbles … he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Harry could make out Hermione's neat writing, Ron's untidy scrawl, and even a scribble that looked as though it was from the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid.— J. K. Rowling

Other Words from scribble Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about scribble

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Examples of scribble in a Sentence

Verb She scribbled a note to him and then dashed off to her meeting. He scribbled down his phone number. Students scribbled furiously as the professor lectured. She was scribbling away in a notebook. The toddler scribbled all over the paper.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Its new software allows users to scribble down notes with the Apple Pencil, which the device can recognize and transform into text and shapes. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, PEOPLE.com, "Apple’s Most Popular iPad Ever Just Got a Huge Upgrade — and You Can Get It Today," 18 Sep. 2020 Take the money, scribble a bit, and enjoy the room service.’’ Bruce Jay Friedman was born April 26, 1930, in the Bronx. — Matt Schudel, BostonGlobe.com, "Bruce Jay Friedman, novelist, playwright with an edge of ‘black humor,’ dies at 90," 6 June 2020 As the trial started, some started scribbling furiously. — Natalie Andrews, WSJ, "For Senators at Impeachment Trial, No Coffee, No Cellphones and No Talking," 22 Jan. 2020 After working a 12-hour shift at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children, Lauren Zito found hope scribbled on the sidewalk Thursday night. — al, "‘We’re not isolated’: How Alabamians found hope, joy during pandemic," 30 Mar. 2020 The hacker scribbled a racist term and drew a swastika on the screen. — USA TODAY, "Turtle Derby, cleaner subways, Zoom meeting hacked: News from around our 50 states," 2 May 2020 One bullet point scribbled on a floor-to-ceiling whiteboard, in particular, caught Son’s eye: a target of one million rooms in Japan within a year. — Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, "‘Oyo is a WeWork in the making’: SoftBank faces questions about Indian hotel startup’s future," 18 Feb. 2020 One teacher scribbled out instructions on yellow sticky notes placed on different pages in the packet. — CNN, "ICE detained a high school sophomore. His teachers tried to send him homework so he wouldn't fall behind," 10 Dec. 2019 The greatest head coach in NFL history scribbles something down on a folded piece of paper and watches his defense force the first of 13 scoreless drives (10 punts). — Conor Orr, SI.com, "I Watched Every Backup QB That Played in Week 3 ... and Lived to Tell the Tale," 23 Sep. 2019

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

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Learn More about scribble

Dictionary Entries near scribble

Statistics for scribble

Last Updated

30 Sep 2020

Cite this Entry

“Scribble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scribble. Accessed 24 Nov. 2020.

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More Definitions for scribble

scribble

verb

English Language Learners Definition of scribble

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to write (something) quickly and in a way that makes it difficult to read

: to draw lines, shapes, etc., that have no particular meaning in a quick and careless way

scribble

noun

English Language Learners Definition of scribble (Entry 2 of 2)

: writing that is difficult to read because it has been done quickly or carelessly

: lines, shapes, etc., that have no particular meaning and are drawn in a quick and careless way

See the full definition for scribble in the English Language Learners Dictionary

scribble

scrib·ble | \ ˈskri-bəl

\

scribbled; scribbling

Kids Definition of scribble

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to write quickly or carelessly

scribble

Kids Definition of scribble (Entry 2 of 2)

: something written quickly or carelessly

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