scutch

1 of 2

verb

scutched; scutching; scutches

transitive verb

: to separate the woody fiber from (flax or hemp) by beating

scutch

2 of 2

noun

1
2
: a bricklayer's hammer for cutting, trimming, and dressing bricks

Examples of scutch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There was a riot of nettles, ferns, ryegrass, scutch, goosefoot, wild oat, green amaranth, chicory, sorrel, cockspur, and the like, otherwise known as weeds by farmers throughout the world. . . . Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scutch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

obsolete French escoucher, from Middle French escochier, from Vulgar Latin *excuticare to beat out, from Latin excutere, from ex- + quatere to shake, strike

First Known Use

Verb

1733, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scutch was in 1733

Dictionary Entries Near scutch

Cite this Entry

“Scutch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scutch. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!