scour
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to remove dirt, grease, etc., from or to cleanse or polish by hard rubbing, as with a rough or abrasive material.
to scour pots and pans.
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to remove (dirt, grease, etc.) from something by hard rubbing.
to scour grease from pots and pans.
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to clear or dig out (a channel, drain, etc.) as by the force of water, by removing debris, etc.
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to purge thoroughly, as an animal.
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to clear or rid of what is undesirable.
to scour the nation of spies.
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to remove by or as if by cleansing; get rid of.
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to clean or rid of debris, impurities, etc., by or as if by washing, as cotton or wool.
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Metallurgy. (of the contents of a blast furnace) to rub against and corrode (the refractory lining).
verb (used without object)
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to rub a surface in order to cleanse or polish it.
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to remove dirt, grease, etc.
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to become clean and shiny.
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to be capable of being cleaned by rubbing.
The roasting pan scours easily.
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(of a plow, cultivator, etc.) to pass through the ground without soil clinging to the blade.
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(of a plow, shovel, etc.) to become polished from use.
noun
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the act of scouring.
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the place scoured.
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an apparatus or material used in scouring; scourer.
Sand is a good scour.
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the erosive force of moving water, as in a river or sea.
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(used with a singular or plural verb) Usually scours. diarrhea in horses and cattle caused by intestinal infection.
verb
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to clean or polish (a surface) by washing and rubbing, as with an abrasive cloth
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to remove dirt from or have the dirt removed from
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(tr) to clear (a channel) by the force of water; flush
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(tr) to remove by or as if by rubbing
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(intr) (of livestock, esp cattle) to have diarrhoea
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(tr) to cause (livestock) to purge their bowels
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(tr) to wash (wool) to remove wax, suint, and other impurities
noun
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the act of scouring
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the place scoured, esp by running water
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something that scours, such as a cleansing agent
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(often plural) prolonged diarrhoea in livestock, esp cattle
verb
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to range over (territory), as in making a search
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to move swiftly or energetically over (territory)
Other Word Forms
- scourer noun
Etymology
Origin of scour1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English verb scoure(n), score(n), from Middle Dutch sc(h)ūren, Middle Low German schüren, from Old French escurer (compare Medieval Latin escūrāre ), from Latin excūrāre “to take good care of,” equivalent to ex- 1 + cūrāre “to care for”; cure ( def. )
Origin of scour2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English scouren, scure; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old Norse skūr “storm, shower, shower of missles”; perhaps from Old French ecsour(r)e, escorir “to rush out or forth,” from Latin excurrere
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.
They contacted Facebook, which at the time dominated the social media landscape, asking for help scouring uploaded family photos - to see if Lucy was in any of them.
From BBC
"We scoured the scientific literature to find examples of pathogens infecting T cells. We found very few examples," said Harris, part of UVA's Department of Neuroscience.
From Science Daily
Explorers scouring the lakeside soon discovered other, even more productive fields.
From Los Angeles Times
But many viewers interpreted the spot not as a feel-good story about pets but as a peek into a world where your doorbell camera can be used to scour video across neighborhoods and beyond.
From Salon
Now, many pharmacies can’t keep them in stock, and women are scouring pharmacies—and tapping their personal networks—to track them down.
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.
