verbWord forms: -fies, -fying or -fied(transitive)
1. surgery
to make tiny punctures or superficial incisions in (the skin or other tissue), as for inoculating
2. agriculture
a.
to break up and loosen (soil) to a shallow depth
b.
to scratch or abrade the outer surface of (seeds) to increase water absorption or hasten germination
3.
to wound with harsh criticism
Derived forms
scarification (ˌscarifiˈcation)
noun
scarifier (ˈscariˌfier)
noun
Word origin
C15: via Old French from Latin scarīfāre to scratch open, from Greek skariphasthai to draw, from skariphos a pencil
scarify in British English2
(ˈskɛərɪˌfaɪ)
verbWord forms: -fies, -fying or -fied
(transitive) informal
to make scared; frighten
Derived forms
scarifying (ˈscariˌfying)
adjective
scarifyingly (ˈscariˌfyingly)
adverb
Word origin
C18: from scare + -ify
scarify in American English
(ˈskærəˌfaɪ)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈscariˌfied or ˈscariˌfying
1.
to make a series of small, superficial incisions or punctures in (the skin), as insurgery
2.
to criticize sharply; make cutting remarks to or about
3. Agriculture
a.
to loosen or stir (the topsoil)
b.
to make incisions in the coats of (seeds) in order to hasten germination
Derived forms
scarifier (ˈscariˌfier)
noun
Word origin
MFr scarifier < LL scarificare, altered < L scarifare < Gr skariphasthai, to scratch an outline, sketch < skariphos, pencil, stylus, akin to L scribere, to write: see scribe
Examples of 'scarify' in a sentence
scarify
They mechanically aerate and scarify the grass as well as weed and feed turf.
The Sun (2010)
Something scarified my throat and gnawed the marrow of my bones.
Hyland, Paul Indian Balm - Travels in the Southern Subcontinent (1994)
Scarify your lawn by raking out dead grass and moss that has built up over the summer.