Definition of scribble
scribbled
;scribbling
play \-b(ə-)liŋ\transitive verb
1 : to write hastily or carelessly without regard to legibility or form
2 : to cover with careless or worthless writings or drawings
intransitive verb
: to write or draw hastily and carelessly
scribble
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of scribble in a Sentence
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 of scribble from the Web
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At last year’s conference, for example, Apple’s top software executive, Craig Federighi, demonstrated how users could order food, scribble doodles and send funny images known as stickers in chats on its Messages app.
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Gathering her thoughts, the speller scribbled on the palm of her left hand with her index finger.
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Below are my notes, some scribbled on paper towels smeared with barbecue sauce.
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When eMerge Americas’ team was planning the inaugural homegrown technology conference in 2014, the executives scribbled a list of dream speakers on a white board.
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In one grievance, a disabled man facing the loss of his home complained that Francis sometimes showed up on his door late at night, seeking installment payments on his fee and scribbling receipts on scraps of paper.
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Someone already has been inside the library and scribbled graffiti above shelves still lined with books.
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McGrath was scribbling down notes quickly as Bruner began to open up more.
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Charts, graphs, equations and formulas are scribbled on white boards as students follow the lesson and plug numbers into Excel spreadsheets.
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.
Origin and Etymology of scribble
Middle English scriblen, from Medieval Latin scribillare, from Latin scribere to write
First Known Use: 15th century
SCRIBBLE Defined for English Language Learners
scribble
playDefinition of scribble for English Language Learners
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: to write (something) quickly and in a way that makes it difficult to read
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: to draw lines, shapes, etc., that have no particular meaning in a quick and careless way
SCRIBBLE Defined for Kids
Definition of scribble for Students
scribbled
;scribbling
: to write quickly or carelessly
scribbler
\ˈskri-blər\ nounWord Root of scribble
The Latin word scribere, meaning “to write,” and its form scriptus give us the roots scrib and script. Words from the Latin scribere have something to do with writing. To scribble is to write quickly or carelessly. To describe is to write or tell about something or someone. A manuscript is a document written by hand. To transcribe is to write down something spoken or copy something written.
Definition of scribble for Students
: something written quickly or carelessly
Learn More about scribble
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See words that rhyme with scribble Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for scribble Spanish Central: Translation of scribble Nglish: Translation of scribble for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of scribble for Arabic speakers
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