scribble

[skrib-uh l]

See more synonyms for scribble on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), scrib·bled, scrib·bling.

to write hastily or carelessly: to scribble a letter.
to cover with meaningless writing or marks: to scribble all over a page.

verb (used without object), scrib·bled, scrib·bling.

to write or draw in a hasty or careless way.
to make meaningless marks, scrolls, lines, etc., with a pencil, pen, or the like.

noun

a note or other writing that has little or no meaning.
a hasty or careless drawing or piece of writing.
handwriting, especially when illegible.

Origin of scribble

1425–75; late Middle English scribblen (v.) < Medieval Latin scrībillāre to scribble, derivative of Latin scrībere to write; see shrive

Related formsscrib·bling·ly, adverb

scribble

[skrib-uh l]

verb (used with object), scrib·bled, scrib·bling.

to tear apart (wool fibers) in the first stages of carding.

Origin of scribble

1675–85; < Dutch schribbelen to scratch; cognate with schrobbelen to card wool coarsely, frequentative of schrobben to scrub¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for scribbling

graffiti, cacography, graffito, hieroglyphics

Examples from the Web for scribbling

Contemporary Examples of scribbling

Scribbling notes in the classroom next door is Justine, a shy 17-year-old orphan who is the only female in her class.
Victims No More: Congo’s Badass Women Mechanics
Nina Strochlic
June 6, 2014
A couple of ladies, standing on tiptoe, are scribbling over it with eyeliner and lipstick.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou
John Ed Bradley
April 27, 2014
I caught his eye and made a motion with my hand, as if I were scribbling out the bill for our lunch.
The Fourth War: My Lunch with a Jihadi
Elliot Ackerman
January 21, 2014
Was he scribbling his cantatas up to the day before the performance?
How I Write: Jared Diamond
Noah Charney
November 20, 2013
He was scribbling busily on a notepad--and some of it might even end up in the first accused-mob-boss blog.
Meet the Mafia’s First Blogger, Tommy Gioeli
Michael Daly
March 30, 2012

Historical Examples of scribbling

When I have time and am not too tired, I comfort myself with scribbling.
Ballads of a Bohemian
Robert W. Service
One or two tear drops stained the paper on which the girl was scribbling.
Jennie Baxter, Journalist
Robert Barr
You can see, by the way I am scribbling, that I have an idle and rainy afternoon.
The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, Volume I (of II)
Charles Darwin
McNorton was scribbling notes in shorthand and carefully circled the hour.
The Green Rust
Edgar Wallace
He was scribbling on a book of tickets and it was piling up deep.
Highways in Hiding
George Oliver Smith

British Dictionary definitions for scribbling

scribble

verb

to write or draw in a hasty or illegible manner
to make meaningless or illegible marks (on)
derogatory, or facetious to write poetry, novels, etc

noun

hasty careless writing or drawing
writing, esp literary matter, of poor quality
meaningless or illegible marks

Derived Formsscribbly, adjective

Word Origin for scribble

C15: from Medieval Latin scrībillāre to write hastily, from Latin scrībere to write

scribble

verb

(tr) to card (wool, etc)

Word Origin for scribble

C17: probably from Low German; compare schrubben scrub 1

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

Word Origin and History for scribbling

scribble

mid-15c., from Medieval Latin scribillare, diminutive of Latin scribere "to write" (see script (n.)). Related: Scribbled; scribbling. The noun, "hurried or careless writing," is 1570s, from the verb.