scurry
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a scurrying rush.
the scurry of little feet on the stairs.
-
a short run or race.
verb
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to move about or proceed hurriedly
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(intr) to whirl about
noun
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the act or sound of scurrying
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a brisk light whirling movement, as of snow
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horse racing a short race or sprint
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have scurriedperfect
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has scurriedperfect 3rd person singular
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am scurryingprogressive 1st person singular
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is scurryingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been scurryingperfect progressive
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has been scurryingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are scurryingprogressive
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scurriessingular 3rd person
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scurryingparticiple
Past
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had scurriedperfect
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were scurryingprogressive plural
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scurriedsimple
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had been scurryingperfect progressive
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scurriedparticiple
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was scurryingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of scurry
First recorded in 1800–10; extracted from hurry-scurry
Explanation
Scurry means to move quickly, at a frenzied pace, and often also implies the urge to hide. When you come upon a mouse in your house, chances are it will scurry away. Think of scurry this way — anytime you describe someone as scurrying, you're comparing them to a mouse. When you say troops scurried back behind their defensive lines, you're insulting them. When you say children scurry around searching for eggs during an Easter egg hunt, you think they're cute.
Vocabulary lists containing scurry
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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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.
Progress has not been a straight line and the league collapsed within two years, but the impact was still far-reaching and, according to Scurry, "set the groundwork" for what has happened since.
From BBC • Nov. 20, 2024
Rashad Edwards, a film and television actor who runs pest management company Scurry Inc. in New York City with his wife, said the best method he has found when dealing with rodents is carbon monoxide.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 13, 2024
“She’s a world-class player,” said Scurry, who played in four World Cups, making the penalty-kick save that won the title in 1999.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2023
Former world champion goalkeeper Briana Scurry, whose 19 World Cup appearances in goal are the most by an American, says Naeher can handle the challenge.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2023
She waved at the crowd and did a few steps from the Bugfoot Scurry Dance, which she’d learned on Cloving Square Dance Day, and they laughed and shouted some more.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
