scratches

American  

[skrach-iz] / ˈskrætʃ ɪz /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. a disease of horses marked by dry rifts or chaps that appear on the skin near the fetlock, behind the knee, or in front of the hock.

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scratches British  

/ ˈskrætʃɪz /

noun

1. Also called: cracked heels.   mud fever.  (functioning as singular) a disease of horses characterized by dermatitis in the region of the fetlock

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Etymology

Origin of scratches

First recorded in 1605–15; scratch, -s ³

Example Sentences

And that barely scratches the surface of how bad things are going to get as our planet cooks and our ecosystem collapses.

From Salon

Despite a couple of scratches, Bindi was in good health and had been "well looked after" and "instantly" recognised her family.

From BBC

Rather than fixating on Jefferson’s quill scratches, Mr. Amar illuminates how this equality ethos resonated with America’s most profound thinkers—from the fiery eloquence of Frederick Douglass to the unyielding advocacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

From The Wall Street Journal

G takes them, scratches her butt, and stands there staring at me like she’s not quite sure who I am.

From Literature

Four Welsh councils later told the Welsh Affairs Select Committee the money "only scratches the surface" of what was needed.

From BBC