scarecrow

[ skair-kroh ]

/ ˈskɛərˌkroʊ /

SEE MORE 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.

Nearby words

scarcity, scare, scare out of one's wits, scare quotes, scare up, scarecrow, scaredy-cat, scarehead, scaremonger, scareware, scarf

Origin of scarecrow

First recorded in 1545–55; scare + crow¹

Related forms

scare·crow·ish, scare·crow·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for scarecrow

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
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

And, like the scarecrow, I'm glad you found a bit of your brain.
How the People in My District Got Stupak to Change His Mind|Michael Moore|March 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
"If she is, she may be of great service to us," answered the Scarecrow, who was impressed by a sudden thought.
The Marvellous Land of Oz|L. Frank Baum
I went back to my companions and explained, and before evening we had picked the scarecrow to pieces.
The New Education|Scott Nearing
Out on to the wooden platform of the circus tent went Bunny, the scarecrow boy, and Sue, the Jack-o'-lantern girl.
Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Playing Circus|Laura Lee Hope
But the Woodman had seen them coming and the Scarecrow had decided what to do.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|L. Frank Baum
The smaller creature stopped and stared fixedly at the Scarecrow.
The Royal Book 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

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of scarecrow

Related forms

Examples from the Web for scarecrow

British Dictionary definitions for scarecrow

scarecrow

noun