scoured

American  

[skou^uhrd, skou-erd] / skaʊərd, ˈskaʊ ərd /

adjective

1. cleansed or polished by hard rubbing, as with a rough or abrasive material.

   American society, through advertising, associates the scent of lemon with a freshly scoured kitchen.

2. cleared or dug out, as by the force of water, glaciers, etc..

   Muskeget Channel, located between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, is a deeply scoured channel with strong tidal currents.

3. (of cotton, wool, etc.) cleaned or made free of impurities, debris, etc., by or as if by washing.

   When dried, the scoured wool is usually carded and combed before the process of spinning.

4. cleared or made free of anything undesirable; cleansed.

   It is from a scoured soul and a sober heart that prayer is engaged.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of scour.

Etymology

Origin of scoured

scour ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

After all, Fifa scoured the globe to select the creme de la creme, the 51 top referees and 30 best video match officials.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

Authorities also removed another 2-year-old child from the couple’s custody and scoured a field in Moreno Valley, accompanied by Jake Haro in a jail jumpsuit.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

So we scoured for stocks in the fund that have recently hit what look like the strongest outperformance versus the sector.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

When mortgage broker Market Financial Solutions collapsed in February, investors scoured court filings and queried lenders to see who took the hit.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Frankie and Joseph scoured the floor, sweeping their hands across the carpet.

From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick