scrab
/skrɑːb
/Northern Irish
verb [with object]
Scratch or scrape (something): with the other hand I scrabbed his face [no object]: figurative the police desperately scrab for leads...
- Rats and mice give off a strong ammonia smell and are often noisy making scrabbing noises when they are present.
- She tried to grab me and was scrabbing the neck off me.
- He yanked the girl's tie, scrabbed her face, and shoved her.
noun
An injury or mark caused by scratching: she had scrabs on her back...
- The woman was not only threatened but was left with scrape and scrab marks.
- He first blamed a cat for the scrab marks down his face.
- The victim was found to have gashes and scrabs on her back.
Origin
Late 15th century: from Dutch schrabben 'to scrape'; related to scrabble and scrape.