scour

1
[ skouuhr, skou-er ]
See synonyms for: scourscouring on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. 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.

  2. to remove (dirt, grease, etc.) from something by hard rubbing: to scour grease from pots and pans.

  1. to clear or dig out (a channel, drain, etc.) as by the force of water, by removing debris, etc.

  2. to purge thoroughly, as an animal.

  3. to clear or rid of what is undesirable: to scour the nation of spies.

  4. to remove by or as if by cleansing; get rid of.

  5. to clean or rid of debris, impurities, etc., by or as if by washing, as cotton or wool.

  6. Metallurgy. (of the contents of a blast furnace) to rub against and corrode (the refractory lining).

verb (used without object)
  1. to rub a surface in order to cleanse or polish it.

  2. to remove dirt, grease, etc.

  1. to become clean and shiny.

  2. to be capable of being cleaned by rubbing: The roasting pan scours easily.

  3. (of a plow, cultivator, etc.) to pass through the ground without soil clinging to the blade.

  4. (of a plow, shovel, etc.) to become polished from use.

noun
  1. the act of scouring.

  2. the place scoured.

  1. an apparatus or material used in scouring; scourer: Sand is a good scour.

  2. the erosive force of moving water, as in a river or sea.

  3. Usually scours. (used with a singular or plural verb)Veterinary Pathology. diarrhea in horses and cattle caused by intestinal infection.

Origin of scour

1
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”; see cure

Other words for scour

Words Nearby scour

Other definitions for scour (2 of 2)

scour2
[ skouuhr, skou-er ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to range over, as in a search: They scoured the countryside for the lost child.

  2. to run or pass quickly over or along.

verb (used without object)
  1. to range about, as in search of something.

  2. to move rapidly or energetically.

Origin of scour

2
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

Other words for scour

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use scour in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scour (1 of 2)

scour1

/ (skaʊə) /


verb
  1. to clean or polish (a surface) by washing and rubbing, as with an abrasive cloth

  2. to remove dirt from or have the dirt removed from

  1. (tr) to clear (a channel) by the force of water; flush

  2. (tr) to remove by or as if by rubbing

  3. (intr) (of livestock, esp cattle) to have diarrhoea

  4. (tr) to cause (livestock) to purge their bowels

  5. (tr) to wash (wool) to remove wax, suint, and other impurities

noun
  1. the act of scouring

  2. the place scoured, esp by running water

  1. something that scours, such as a cleansing agent

  2. (often plural) prolonged diarrhoea in livestock, esp cattle

Origin of scour

1
C13: via Middle Low German schūren, from Old French escurer, from Late Latin excūrāre to cleanse, from cūrāre; see cure

Derived forms of scour

  • scourer, noun

British Dictionary definitions for scour (2 of 2)

scour2

/ (skaʊə) /


verb
  1. to range over (territory), as in making a search

  2. to move swiftly or energetically over (territory)

Origin of scour

2
C14: from Old Norse skūr

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