scour

[ skouuhr, skou-er ]

/ skaʊər, ˈskaʊ ər /

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See synonyms for: scour / scouring on Thesaurus.com

Definition of scour

verb (used with object)

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.

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

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

to purge thoroughly, as an animal.

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

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

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

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

verb (used without object)

to rub a surface in order to cleanse or polish it.

to remove dirt, grease, etc.

to become clean and shiny.

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

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

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

noun

the act of scouring.

the place scoured.

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

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

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

OTHER WORDS FOR scour

1 burnish, buff, shine, rub.

See synonyms for scour on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of scour

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 definitions for scour (2 of 2)

scour²

[ skouuhr, skou-er ]

/ skaʊər, ˈskaʊ ər /

verb (used with object)

to range over, as in a search: They scoured the countryside for the lost child.

to run or pass quickly over or along.

verb (used without object)

to range about, as in search of something.

to move rapidly or energetically.

OTHER WORDS FOR scour

1 comb, hunt, rake, ransack.

See synonyms for scour on Thesaurus.com

Origin of scour

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use scour in a sentence

When she was still ill after two weeks, she started scouring the Internet for information about other people who weren’t getting better.
Why it’s easy to hate Facebook but hard to leave|Heather Kelly|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
So I’ve been scouring obscure parts of the webs and playing with them.
Why so many valuable startups seem like the dumbest idea at first|Lucinda Shen|November 13, 2020|Fortune
Dean scoured the literature because he had become personally interested in the topic, while working on a different project, in India.
Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears (Ep. 439)|Stephen J. Dubner|November 12, 2020|Freakonomics
Thanks to two intrepid researchers who spent more than a decade scouring records and archives across the globe, it now seems there could be more than twice as many surviving first editions as the long-accepted prior best estimates.
Historical detectives discover more first editions of Isaac Newton’s Principia|Jennifer Ouellette|November 11, 2020|Ars Technica

We scoured streaming services for shows and films so iconic you might not publicly admit you missed out on them.
Still haven’t seen Star Wars or ‘The Office’? Here are 29 pop culture blind spots you can stream to hide your shame.|Bethonie Butler|November 9, 2020|Washington Post
Hundreds of civilian volunteers were recruited and trained, scouring communities for any evidence of Graham.
On U.VA Campus, Grief Mixes With Relief After Discovery of Body|Eric Leimkuhler|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
McLennan was scouring church land with his metal detector in September when he came across a silver spoon.
How To Strike Viking Gold|Lizzie Crocker|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still further online scouring by police produced another remarkable twist.
The Black Widow of Silicon Valley|Michael Daly|July 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Reporters found that scouring the Internet for remarks made by Ukip members was proving fruitful.
Is Britain’s Tea Party Turning Politics Upside Down?|Nico Hines|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She later confessed to poring over botanical volumes in search of suitable poisons and scouring the woods for lethal mushrooms.
The Week in Death: Clarissa Dickson Wright, One of ‘Two Fat Ladies’|The Telegraph|March 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But we must not remain outside to-day, for the troopers are scouring the forest, and may see you.
The Children of the New Forest|Captain Marryat
By this means, and the close scouring of the coast by the vessels of his squadron, something might be effected.
The Life of Nelson, Vol. I (of 2)|A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan
After the King had seen the messenger he sent for Gareth, and Gareth left his scouring and went gaily and eagerly to him.
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping|Elizabeth Hale Gilman
Put ammonia or borax in the water used, or else rub the glass with whiting, or a scouring soap which is not gritty.
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping|Elizabeth Hale Gilman
It was thought that the scouring effect of the wind, there, would keep the opening of the tunnel free of drift.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson

British Dictionary definitions for scour (1 of 2)

scour¹

/ (skaʊə) /

verb

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

to remove dirt from or have the dirt removed from

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

(tr) to remove by or as if by rubbing

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

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

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

noun

the act of scouring

the place scoured, esp by running water

something that scours, such as a cleansing agent

(often plural) prolonged diarrhoea in livestock, esp cattle

Derived forms of scour

scourer, noun

Word Origin for scour

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

British Dictionary definitions for scour (2 of 2)

scour²

/ (skaʊə) /

verb

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

to move swiftly or energetically over (territory)

Word Origin for scour

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

scour

Definition of scour

OTHER WORDS FOR scour

Origin of scour

Other definitions for scour (2 of 2)

OTHER WORDS FOR scour

Origin of scour

Words related to scour

How to use scour in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scour (1 of 2)

Derived forms of scour

Word Origin for scour

British Dictionary definitions for scour (2 of 2)

Word Origin for scour