scum

[ skuhm ]
See synonyms for scum on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a film or layer of foul or extraneous matter that forms on the surface of a liquid.

  2. refuse or offscourings.

  1. a low, worthless, or evil person.

  2. such persons collectively; riffraff; dregs.

verb (used with object),scummed, scum·ming.
  1. to remove the scum from.

  2. to remove as scum.

verb (used without object),scummed, scum·ming.
  1. to form scum; become covered with scum.

Origin of scum

1
1200–50; Middle English scume<Middle Dutch schūme (Dutch schuim) foam; cognate with German Schaum foam

Other words from scum

  • scumless, adjective
  • scumlike, adjective
  • un·scummed, adjective

Words Nearby scum

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How to use scum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scum

scum

/ (skʌm) /


noun
  1. a layer of impure matter that forms on the surface of a liquid, often as the result of boiling or fermentation

  2. the greenish film of algae and similar vegetation surface of a stagnant pond

  1. Also called: dross, scruff the skin of oxides or impurities on the surface of a molten metal

  2. waste matter

  3. a worthless person or group of people

verbscums, scumming or scummed
  1. (tr) to remove scum from

  2. (intr) rare to form a layer of or become covered with scum

Origin of scum

1
C13: of Germanic origin; related to Old High German scūm, Middle Dutch schūm, Old French escume; see skim

Derived forms of scum

  • scumlike, adjective
  • scummer, noun

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