scourer

¹

[ skouuhr-er, skou-er-er ]

noun

1. a person who scours scour or cleanses.
2. an implement, device, or preparation for scouring. scour.

scourer

²

[ skouuhr-er, skou-er-er ]

noun

1. a person who scours scour or ranges about.
2. (in the 17th and 18th centuries) a prankster who roamed the streets at night.

Word History and Origins

Origin of scourer¹

First recorded in 1425–75, scourer is from the late Middle English word scourour. See scour ¹, -er ¹

Origin of scourer²

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; scour ², -er ¹

Example Sentences

A nation of reformers looks like a scourer of silver-plate—black all over and dingy, with making things white and brilliant.

From Project Gutenberg

This was done in vats, where the clothes were trodden and well worked by the feet of the scourer.

From Project Gutenberg

The most efficient scourer is that which frees the wheat from the greatest amount of impurity with a minimum of abrasion.

From Project Gutenberg

To restore that to its pristine freshness might have daunted a professional scourer.

From Project Gutenberg

The former made wooden bowls, and the latter was sometimes a scourer, or scout, Mid.

From Project Gutenberg

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