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

"We scoured the scientific literature to find examples of pathogens infecting T cells. We found very few examples," said Harris, part of UVA's Department of Neuroscience.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026

The project has scoured social media, verified online footage and used eyewitness accounts to build up a chronicle of how and when the protesters were killed, as well as some details about their lives.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Investigators again scoured the desert brush outside the Tucson home of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie, as officials were reviewing a new message that could be tied to her abduction.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

In other words, it has none of the telltale signs that companies have typically relied on as they have scoured the West for heat to turn into electrons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

He scoured the place, looking for bugs and secret cameras, but found nothing.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau