score

American  

[skawr, skohr] / skɔr, skoʊr /

noun

plural

scores, score

1. the record of points or strokes made by the competitors in a game or match.

2. the total points or strokes made by one side, individual, play, game, etc.

3. an act or instance of making or earning a point or points.

4. Education, Psychology. the performance of an individual or sometimes of a group on an examination or test, expressed by a number, letter, or other symbol.

5. a notch, scratch, or incision; a stroke or line.

6. a notch or mark for keeping an account or record.

7. a reckoning or account so kept; tally.

8. any account showing indebtedness.

9. an amount recorded as due.

10. a line drawn as a boundary, the starting point of a race, a goal line, etc.

11. a group or set of 20.

    about a score of years ago.

12. scores, a great many.

    Scores of people were at the dance.

13. a reason, ground, or cause.

    to complain on the score of low pay.

14. Informal.

    1. the basic facts, point of progress, etc., regarding a situation.

       What's the score on Saturday's picnic?

    2. a successful move, remark, etc.

15. Music.

    1. a written or printed piece of music with all the vocal and instrumental parts arranged on staves, one under the other.

    2. the music itself.

    3. the music played as background to or part of a movie, play, or television presentation.

16. Slang.

    1. a success in finding a willing sexual partner; sexual conquest.

    2. a purchase or acquisition of illicit drugs, as heroin or cocaine.

    3. a single payoff obtained through graft by a police officer, especially from a narcotics violator.

    4. a successful robbery; theft.

    5. any success, triumph, happy acquisition, gift, or win.

    6. the victim of a robbery or swindle.

---

verb (used with object)

scored, scoring

1. to gain for addition to one's score in a game or match.

2. to make a score of.

   He scored 98 on the test.

3. to have as a specified value in points.

   Four aces score 100.

4. Education, Psychology. to evaluate the responses a person has made on (a test or an examination).

5. Music.

   1. to orchestrate.

   2. to write out in score.

   3. to compose the music for (a movie, play, television show, etc.)

6. Cooking. to cut ridges or lines into (meat, fish, etc.) with shallow slashes, usually in a diamond pattern, before cooking.

7. to make notches, cuts, marks, or lines in or on.

8. to record or keep a record of (points, items, etc.), by or as if by notches, marks, etc.; tally; reckon (often followed byup ).

9. to write down as a debt.

10. to record as a debtor.

11. to gain, achieve, or win.

    The play scored a great success.

12. Slang.

    1. to obtain (a drug) illicitly.

    2. to steal.

    3. to acquire; be given.

13. to berate or censure.

    The newspapers scored the mayor severely for the announcement.

14. to crease (paper or cardboard) so that it can be folded easily and without damage.

verb (used without object)

scored, scoring

1. to make a point or points in a game or contest.

2. to keep score, as of a game.

3. to achieve an advantage or a success.

   The new product scored with the public.

4. to make notches, cuts, lines, etc.

5. to run up a score or debt.

6. Slang.

   1. to succeed in finding a willing sexual partner; have sexual intercourse.

   2. to purchase or obtain drugs illicitly.

   3. to elicit and accept a bribe.

idioms

1. pay off / settle a score, to avenge a wrong; retaliate.

   In the Old West they paid off a score with bullets.

score British  

/ skɔː /

noun

1. an evaluative, usually numerical, record of a competitive game or match

2. the total number of points made by a side or individual in a game or match

3. the act of scoring, esp a point or points

4. informal the actual situation; the true facts

   to know the score

5. the result of a test or exam

6. a group or set of twenty

   three score years and ten

7. a great number; lots

   I have scores of things to do

8. music

   1. the written or printed form of a composition in which the instrumental or vocal parts appear on separate staves vertically arranged on large pages ( full score ) or in a condensed version, usually for piano ( short score ) or voices and piano ( vocal score )

   2. the incidental music for a film or play

   3. the songs, music, etc, for a stage or film musical

9. a mark or notch, esp one made in keeping a tally

10. an account of amounts due

11. an amount recorded as due

12. a reason or account

    the book was rejected on the score of length

13. a grievance

14. 1. a line marking a division or boundary

    2. ( as modifier )

       score line

15. informal the victim of a theft or swindle

16. dancing notation indicating a dancer's moves

17. informal excessive; unfair

18. 1. to avenge a wrong

    2. to repay a debt

---

verb

1. to gain (a point or points) in a game or contest

2. (tr) to make a total score of

   to score twelve

3. to keep a record of the score (of)

4. (tr) to be worth (a certain amount) in a game

5. (tr) to evaluate (a test or exam) numerically; mark

6. (tr) to record by making notches in

7. to make (cuts, lines, etc) in or on

8. slang (intr) to obtain something desired, esp to purchase an illegal drug

9. slang (intr) (of a man) to be successful in seducing a person

10. (tr)

    1. to set or arrange (a piece of music) for specific instruments or voices

    2. to write the music for (a film, play, etc)

11. to achieve (success or an advantage)

    your idea really scored with the boss

12. (tr) to criticize harshly; berate

13. to accumulate or keep a record of (a debt)

score More Idioms  

1. see box score; know the score; pay off (an old score); settle a score.

---

Usage

What is a basic definition of score? A score is the tally of points that have been earned by competitors in a game. To score is to add points to this tally during a game. Score also refers to a set of 20 items. Score has many other senses, both as a noun and a verb. The score of a game or competition is the record of how many points have been earned during the game. A game in which no points are gained at all is referred to as scoreless. Real-life examples: France won the final match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Croatia with a score of 4-2. In 2020, the final score of Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers was 31-20. Used in a sentence: I volunteered to keep track of the score of the children’s baseball game. Related to this sense, score means to gain points or otherwise add to a person’s or team’s score during a game. A player that gains points is called a scorer. The person who keeps track of the score is also called a scorer, or more frequently a scorekeeper. A player, team, or maneuver that doesn’t gain any points is referred to as nonscoring. Real-life examples: Soccer players score goals. Basketball players score baskets. Football players score touchdowns. Used in a sentence: She scored 50 points by hitting the bullseye. Score is also a group or set of 20 items. Real-life examples: Abraham Lincoln famously said that America was founded “four score and seven years ago” during his Gettysburg Address in 1863. Lincoln was referring to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which occurred 87 (four score plus seven) years prior to Lincoln’s speech. Used in a sentence: He bought a score of donuts from the bakery.

Other Word Forms

• nonscoring
  adjective
• outscore
  verb (used with object)
• rescore
  verb
• scoreless
  adjective
• scorer
  noun
• unscored
  adjective
• unscoring
  adjective
• well-scored
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of score

First recorded before 1100; Middle English; late Old English noun scora, score (plural; unattested singular scoru ) “group of twenty” (apparently originally “notch”), from Old Norse skor “notch”; Middle English verb scoren “to incise, mark with lines, tally debts,” from Old Norse skora “to notch, count by tallies”; later verb senses derivative of the noun; akin to shear

Explanation

When you're playing a game, your score is the number of points you have. If the score of a basketball game is 34 to 34, it means both teams have 34 points — the score is tied. To score in a game is to achieve points or goals. In school, you get a score, or a grade, on your tests and papers. Another kind of score is the written part of a musical composition. And when someone asks, "What's the score?" they might also mean "What's going on?" The Gettysburg Address famously begins, "Four score and seven years ago..." In this case, a score is "twenty," from the Old English scoru, also "twenty."

Example Sentences

An eerie, enchanting score by Rock Burwell gives the proceedings a dreamy, nightmarish quality.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

The percussive score by Joseph Shirley and Moses Sumney underlines this and gives the whole film an eerie, curious atmosphere, lending to a sense of unreality.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Barry failed to score in either of his Championship loan spells - at Sheffield United earlier this season or at Hull City in the second half of last term.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

These deals do, however, offer an opportunity for consumers with tight budgets to score significant savings.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

Except, unlike others who tried to move up the scale, the Three Lions was determined never to earn more than a single star, the lowest score possible.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• account
• amount
• average
• count
• grade
• mark
• number
• rate
• record
• result
• tally