scrape
Americanverb (used with object)
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scrapes,
present (3rd person singular)
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scraped,
past participle, past
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scraping
present participle
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to deprive of or free from an outer layer, adhering matter, etc., or to smooth by drawing or rubbing something, especially a sharp or rough instrument, over the surface.
to scrape a table to remove paint and varnish.
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to remove (an outer layer, adhering matter, etc.) in this way.
to scrape the paint and varnish from a table.
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to scratch, injure, or mar the surface of in this way.
to scrape one's arm on a rough wall.
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to produce by scraping.
He scraped his initials on the rock.
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to collect or do by or as if by scraping; do or gather laboriously or with difficulty (usually followed by up ortogether ).
They managed to scrape together a football team.
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to rub harshly on or across (something).
Don't scrape the floor with your boots!
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to draw or rub (a thing) roughly across something.
Scrape your shoes on the doormat before you come in.
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to level (an unpaved road) with a grader.
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Digital Technology. to extract (data) from a digital source for automated replication, formatting, or manipulation by a computer program, as in data mining or website data analysis.
This project scrapes comments on online forums for linguistic research.
We can scrape older data from obsolete systems with a very simple interface.
verb (used without object)
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scrapes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
scraped,
past participle, past
-
scraping
present participle
-
to scrape something.
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to rub against something gratingly.
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to produce a grating and unmusical tone from a string instrument.
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to draw one's foot back noisily along the ground in making a bow.
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to manage or get by with difficulty or with only the barest margin.
I barely scraped through on the test.
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to economize or save by attention to even the slightest amounts.
By careful scraping they managed to survive.
noun
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scrapes
plural
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an act or instance of scraping.
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a drawing back of the foot noisily along the ground in making a bow.
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a harsh, shrill, or scratching sound made by scraping.
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a scraped place.
a scrape on one's elbow.
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an embarrassing or distressing situation; predicament.
He is always in some kind of a scrape.
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a difference of opinion, fight, or quarrel; scrap.
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Digital Technology.
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the process of extracting data from a digital source for automated replication, formatting, or manipulation by a computer program, as in data mining or website data analysis.
How long will the scrape take to complete?
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the product of this process.
The scrape maliciously copied private content to manipulate search engine rankings.
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verb
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to move (a rough or sharp object) across (a surface), esp to smooth or clean
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(tr; often foll by away or off) to remove (a layer) by rubbing
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to produce a harsh or grating sound by rubbing against (an instrument, surface, etc)
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(tr) to injure or damage by rough contact
to scrape one's knee
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(intr) to be very economical or sparing in the use (of) (esp in the phrase scrimp and scrape )
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(intr) to draw the foot backwards in making a bow
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(tr) to finish (a surface) by use of a scraper
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(tr) to make (a bearing, etc) fit by scraping
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to behave with excessive humility
noun
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the act of scraping
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a scraped place
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a harsh or grating sound
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informal an awkward or embarrassing predicament
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informal a conflict or struggle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scrapesimple
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scrapessimple
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have scrapedperfect
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has scrapedperfect
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am scrapingprogressive
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are scrapingprogressive
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is scrapingprogressive
-
have been scrapingperfect progressive
-
has been scrapingperfect progressive
Past
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scrapedsimple
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had scrapedperfect
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was scrapingprogressive
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were scrapingprogressive
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had been scrapingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scrape
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb scrapen, from Old Norse skrapa (replacing Middle English shrapen Old English scrapian “to scratch”); cognate with Old Norse skrapa; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
To scrape something is to scratch or remove its surface. If you scrape your knee, you'll probably need a Band Aid. You can scrape the toe of your favorite boots, or scrape your arm on a branch. This might cause a scrape on your skin or your shoe, a mark that shows. There is also a kind of scrape you can hear, like the scrape of a chair on a floor, and the kind of scrape, or awkward situation, you suddenly find yourself in. People also scrape things together, or gather up as much as they can find.
Vocabulary lists containing scrape
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the pens, robots scrape algae and mussels off the nets to ensure none of it gets trapped in the salmon’s gills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Felipe earns some money programming for clients in Miami while Tejeda works at children's parties to scrape some cash, but most young people have not escaped the pangs of Cuba's economic crisis.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
At least 165 of the ships were bottom trawlers, a particularly destructive form of fishing that uses weighted nets that scrape the ocean floor, destroying virtually everything in their path.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Some thicker icebergs that break from tidewater glaciers without floating ice shelf extensions can scrape along the seabed or become grounded inside a fjord.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Moss thundered underfoot, and Whisper caught him, scolding him about a fresh scrape on his arm.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
Instead of using soap or chemicals, it physically scrapes away dirt and marks from surfaces.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 18, 2026
Once infected, the flea spreads the disease to humans when flea feces is rubbed into cuts or scrapes on the skin or the eyes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
“The water comes out in very fast movements, with a high velocity, and it scrapes away all these materials” from the valley, said Sattar, creating a “hyper-concentrated” flood that is savage in its power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
Across two hours, Buckley’s Bride shoots, kicks, contorts, dances, scrapes, whizzes, licks and screams, all the while coming no closer to her true self than she was at the start of the film.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026
One of our front tires scrapes the curb before Roli manages a full stop.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Promoters scraped out regional fiefdoms where transient performers would fight for a spell before jumping ship in search of better deals.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
By that point, USC’s offense had piled up almost 200 yards, while Louisiana had scraped together just 18.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
“But we’ve barely scraped the surface in terms of understanding.”
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
Twitch's chief product officer Mike Minton previously said he did not know if users' data had been scraped for training before it gave people the opportunity to opt-out.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
As they walked further, Log-a-Log pointed at strange symbols and weird signs that had been scraped into the surface of the soft stone.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Both are essential to scraping past the layers of artifice Holmes and Evans have built around themselves.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
Nearby, after scraping away a thin layer of earth, smoke begins to rise.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
That exists sub rosa everywhere, with VIPs—meaning anyone awash in money or followers—afforded bowing and scraping not extended to the average customer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Search engines and AI rely on web scraping and frequency of mentions, and the sheer volume of his fake posts caused AI to mistakenly identify him as an NFL wide receiver.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
As he spoke, they could hear loud scraping sounds on the door, followed by little plaintive cries, as if the witch’s children were babies crying for milk.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
