scurry

[skur-ee, skuhr-ee]

See more synonyms for scurry on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), scur·ried, scur·ry·ing.

to go or move quickly or in haste.

verb (used with object), scur·ried, scur·ry·ing.

to send hurrying along.

noun, plural scur·ries.

a scurrying rush: the scurry of little feet on the stairs.
a short run or race.

Origin of scurry

First recorded in 1800–10; extracted from hurry-scurry

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

Related Words for scurrying

whisk, zip, scamper, rip, dart, dash, scoot, sprint, hurry, bustle, scuttle, shoot, fly, rush, run, whirl, tear, scud, race, skim

Examples from the Web for scurrying

Contemporary Examples of scurrying

Now, it seems, a fear of the sun is starting to send them scurrying back to the Victorian styles of centuries past.
Is the Facekini the Future of Beachwear?
Justin Jones
August 23, 2014
Rather than scurrying for cover like so many, she rushed to Malcolm, hoping to comfort him, hoping she could help him survive.
Remembering Yuri Kochiyama, Civil Rights Activist and Malcolm X Ally
Herb Boyd
June 3, 2014
One floor down, the focus of all this scurrying around was bursting into view.
Obama’s Unsung Army of Backstage Volunteers at the Inaugural Balls
Lauren Ashburn
January 22, 2013
All sorts of hungry-looking people with severe haircuts are scurrying about the Right Bank.
Gal With a Suitcase: Paris
Jolie Hunt
October 2, 2010
Will a new study showing the health risks of red meat for women send us scurrying back to the salad bar?
Women Who Eat Meat
Laura Fraser
April 2, 2009

Historical Examples of scurrying

A few minutes later the men were scurrying around to their positions.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling
I was off to the hedge, Charlotte picking herself up and scurrying after.
The Golden Age
Kenneth Grahame
But it was only for a second, and then he was scurrying off as fast as a frightened Squirrel could.
The Adventures of Buster Bear
Thornton W. Burgess
This was literally true, for he was right at the heels of the scurrying Bob.
Frontier Boys in Frisco
Wyn Roosevelt
His first impression was a jumble—eyes, scurrying movement, and bulk.
Cat and Mouse
Ralph Williams

British Dictionary definitions for scurrying

scurry

verb -ries, -rying or -ried

to move about or proceed hurriedly
(intr) to whirl about

noun plural -ries

the act or sound of scurrying
a brisk light whirling movement, as of snow
horse racing a short race or sprint

Word Origin for scurry

C19: probably shortened from hurry-scurry

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 scurrying

scurry

1810, perhaps from hurry-scurry (1732), a reduplication of hurry (v.). As a noun, 1823, from the verb.