scour

1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈskau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce scour (audio)

scoured; scouring; scours

transitive verb

: to rub hard especially with a rough material for cleansing

: to remove by rubbing hard and washing

archaic : to clear (a region) of enemies or outlaws

: to clean by purging : purge

: to remove dirt and debris from (something, such as a pipe or ditch)

: to free from foreign matter or impurities by or as if by washing

scour wool

: to clear, dig, or remove by or as if by a powerful current of water

intransitive verb

: to perform a process of scouring

: to suffer from diarrhea or dysentery

: to become clean and bright by rubbing

scourer noun

scour

2 of 3

noun

: a place scoured by running water

: scouring action (as of a glacier)

: diarrhea, dysentery

—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

: scouring sense 1

also : damage done by scouring action

scour

3 of 3

verb (2)

scoured; scouring; scours

intransitive verb

: to move about quickly especially in search

transitive verb

: to go through or range over in or as if in a search

Did you know?

There are two distinct homographs of the verb scour in English. One means to clean something by rubbing it hard with a rough object; that scour, which goes back to at least the early 14th century, probably derives—via Middle Dutch and Old French—from a Late Latin verb, excurare, meaning "to clean off." The other, which appears in the 13th century, is believed to derive from the Old Norse skūr, meaning "shower." (Skūr is also distantly related to the Old English scūr, the ancestor of our English word shower.) Many disparate things can be scoured. For example, one can scour an area (as in "scoured the woods in search of the lost dog") or publications (as in "scouring magazine and newspaper articles").

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch schuren, from Old French escurer, from Late Latin excurare to clean off, from Latin, to take good care of, from ex- + curare to care for, from cura care

Verb (2)

Middle English scuren, skouren, probably from scour, noun, (in phrase god scour quickly), perhaps from Old Norse skūr shower; akin to Old English scūr shower — more at shower

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

单词	scour
释义	scour 1 of 3 verb (1) ˈskau̇(-ə)r scoured; scouring; scours transitive verb 1 a : to rub hard especially with a rough material for cleansing b : to remove by rubbing hard and washing 2 archaic : to clear (a region) of enemies or outlaws 3 : to clean by purging : purge 4 : to remove dirt and debris from (something, such as a pipe or ditch) 5 : to free from foreign matter or impurities by or as if by washing scour wool 6 : to clear, dig, or remove by or as if by a powerful current of water intransitive verb 1 : to perform a process of scouring 2 : to suffer from diarrhea or dysentery 3 : to become clean and bright by rubbing scourer noun scour 2 of 3 noun 1 : a place scoured by running water 2 : scouring action (as of a glacier) 3 : diarrhea, dysentery —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction 4 : scouring sense 1 also : damage done by scouring action scour 3 of 3 verb (2) scoured; scouring; scours intransitive verb : to move about quickly especially in search transitive verb : to go through or range over in or as if in a search Did you know? There are two distinct homographs of the verb scour in English. One means to clean something by rubbing it hard with a rough object; that scour, which goes back to at least the early 14th century, probably derives—via Middle Dutch and Old French—from a Late Latin verb, excurare, meaning "to clean off." The other, which appears in the 13th century, is believed to derive from the Old Norse skūr, meaning "shower." (Skūr is also distantly related to the Old English scūr, the ancestor of our English word shower.) Many disparate things can be scoured. For example, one can scour an area (as in "scoured the woods in search of the lost dog") or publications (as in "scouring magazine and newspaper articles"). Synonyms Verb (2) comb dig (through) dredge hunt (through) rake ransack rifle rummage search sort (through) troll See all Synonyms & Antonyms Word History Etymology Verb (1) Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch schuren, from Old French escurer, from Late Latin excurare to clean off, from Latin, to take good care of, from ex- + curare to care for, from cura care Verb (2) Middle English scuren, skouren, probably from scour, noun, (in phrase god scour quickly), perhaps from Old Norse skūr shower; akin to Old English scūr shower — more at shower First Known Use Verb (1) 14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a Noun 1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb (2) 13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense Kids Definition scour 1 of 2 verb ˈskau̇r scoured; scouring 1 : to rub hard with a rough substance or object in order to clean 2 : to free or clear from impurities by or as if by rubbing scour 2 of 2 verb scoured; scouring : to go or move swiftly about, over, or through in search of something Detectives scoured the records for a clue. Medical Definition scour 1 of 2 intransitive verb ˈskau̇(ə)r of a domestic animal : to suffer from diarrhea or dysentery a diet causing cattle to scour scour 2 of 2 noun : diarrhea or dysentery occurring especially in young domestic animals —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction scour verb as in to search to look through (as a place) carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something the police scoured the city for the Typhoid Mary of this latest epidemic Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance search find scan locate comb rummage ransack explore examine investigate dredge survey rake inspect troll discover rifle scrutinize ascertain determine review detect peruse hunt (through) learn browse audit dig (through) descry pat down find out sort (through) shake down snoop study probe frisk run down prospect get scare up look over skirmish check (out) track (down) poke (around) grub (about) glance (over) hit (on or upon) ferret (out) Antonyms & Near Antonyms hide abandon ignore lose neglect
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scour

verb (1)

noun

verb (2)

Did you know?

Synonyms

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

verb

Medical Definition

intransitive verb

noun

verb