scrum
/skrʌm
/noun
1 Rugby An ordered formation of players, used to restart play, in which the forwards of a team form up with arms interlocked and heads down, and push forward against a similar group from the opposing side. The ball is thrown into the scrum and the players try to gain possession of it by kicking it backwards towards their own side.With good restart possession from scrum and line-out they threw everything at a dogged CYM....
- Bees leant Keighley a front row player and uncontested scrums were the order of the day.
- The game was played under veteran's rules, which limit kicking and pushing in scrums in order to ‘even’ the playing field.
1.1British informal A disorderly crowd of people or things: there was quite a scrum of people at the bar...
- I guess that was so they didn't disturb the scrum of journalists crowded round a wide-screen telly watching the football.
- At Galashiels station there was a huge crowd and a media scrum as I shook hands with the driver and the provost and boarded the train.
- A huge scrum developed around the vehicles as desperate people tried to get places.
verb (scrums, scrumming, scrummed) [no object] Rugby
1Form or take part in a scrum: the two men scrummed down together for University College, Dublin...
- You can see the difference when they back row is scrumming.
- I grew up in the Cape so I'm used to scrumming in the wet weather so I hope it comes back to me during the match.
- Despite their big away win over the Griffons last Friday, Bulldogs chief coach Kobus van der Merwe said he was far from satisfied with the quality of his team's scrumming and line-outs.
1.1 informal Jostle; crowd: everyone was scrumming around behind him
Origin
Late 19th century: abbreviation of scrummage.