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scratches

American

[skrach-iz] / ˈskrætʃ ɪz /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

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.

scratches British

/ ˈskrætʃɪz /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of scratches

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

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.

Humans are mainly infected by inhaling aerosols contaminated by the saliva, droppings or urine of animals or through direct contact with faeces, or via bites or scratches.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Rodents can harm people through bites and scratches as well as their urine, droppings and fleas.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

They will be able to run only if there are any scratches before 9 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

“In the pre-greening days, you could spot a grove car by all the scratches on both sides,” he told me.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

And so we pressed on to Monson, over hard trail and more rivers, collecting bruises and scratches and insect bites that turned our backs into relief maps.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023