scarecrow

[ skair-kroh ]

/ ˈskɛərˌkroʊ /

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See synonyms for scarecrow on Thesaurus.com

noun

an object, usually a figure of a person in old clothes, set up to frighten crows or other birds away from crops.

anything frightening but not really dangerous.

a person in ragged clothes.

an extremely thin person.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of scarecrow

First recorded in 1545–55; scare + crow¹

OTHER WORDS FROM scarecrow

scarecrowish, scarecrowy, adjective

Words nearby scarecrow

scarcely, scarcely ever, scarcement, scarcity, scare, scarecrow, scared, scaredy-cat, scarehead, scaremonger, scare out of one's wits

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use scarecrow in a sentence

On the way, he shoulder-checks a scarecrow hung crooked on its post.
What’s the fun in fear? Science explores the appeal of scary movies|Maria Temming|October 27, 2022|Science News For Students
They dream of a human scarecrow, by far the movie’s most horrifying image, and of that set of silver choppers.
In The Cursed, Werewolf-Type Beasts Put a Greedy Landowner in His Place|Stephanie Zacharek|February 17, 2022|Time
These include setting up electric fences, training a guard animal like a dog to warn you of any intruding bears, rigging motion-sensing strobe lights to go off when they detect a bear, placing scarecrows around your property, and many more.
How to keep fat bears (and other bears) out of your trash|Natalie Wallington|September 29, 2021|Popular-Science
The idea is that the mere presence of police should prevent people from committing crimes — a sort of scarecrow effect.
Murders are spiking. Police should be part of the solution.|German Lopez|September 27, 2021|Vox

You should look like a scarecrow on the yellow-brick road, but you should also be warm by the time you are done.
How to build snowshoes on the fly—and 4 other tips for surviving deep snow|By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life|January 5, 2021|Popular-Science
It would be like if after the 40th pipe in Flappy Bird was a scarecrow.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There, the beloved characters would emerge: the Cowardly Lion singing about courage and the Scarecrow dancing with the crows.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road…to North Carolina|Nina Strochlic|February 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was rumored that Howard Stern would play Scarecrow and Madonna would play Harley Quinn.
The 11 Worst Sequel Ideas to Come out of Hollywood|Chancellor Agard|November 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There's no Judy Garland songs, no Scarecrow, no Tin Man, no Cowardly Lion.
What Critics Are Saying About ‘Oz: The Great and Powerful’|Marlow Stern|March 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
His size 22 feet splayed out in front of him, he resembles an oversize version of the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.
The Seven Foot Philanthropist|Sandra McElwaine|June 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
It is at best but a worn-out scarecrow shaking its vain rags in the wind.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
For as a scarecrow in a garden of cucumbers keepeth nothing, so are their gods of wood, and of silver, and laid over with gold.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
"Silly," said Jehosophat, for he was older than Marmaduke and knew Mr. Scarecrow very well.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
Woot watched this operation with much interest, for the Scarecrow's body was only a suit of clothes filled with straw.
The Tin Woodman of Oz|L. Frank Baum
The Scarecrow's head was a gunnysack filled with bran, on which the eyes, nose and mouth had been painted.
The Tin Woodman of Oz|L. Frank Baum

British Dictionary definitions for scarecrow

scarecrow

/ (ˈskɛəˌkrəʊ) /

noun

an object, usually in the shape of a man, made out of sticks and old clothes to scare birds away from crops

a person or thing that appears frightening but is not actually harmful

informal

an untidy-looking person
a very thin person

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

scarecrow

Origin of scarecrow

OTHER WORDS FROM scarecrow

Words nearby scarecrow

Words related to scarecrow

How to use scarecrow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scarecrow