scratch

(skrăch)

v., scratched, scratch·ing, scratch·es.

v.tr.

1. To make a thin shallow cut or mark on (a surface) with a sharp instrument.
2. To use the nails or claws to dig or scrape at.
3. To rub or scrape (the skin) to relieve itching.
4. To scrape or strike on an abrasive surface.
5. To write or draw (something) by scraping a surface: scratched their initials on a rock.
6. To write or draw hurriedly: scratched off a thank-you note.
7. 1. To strike out or cancel (a word, for example) by or as if by drawing lines through.
   2. Slang. To cancel (a project or program, for example).
8. To withdraw (an entry) from a contest.

v.intr.

1. To use the nails or claws to dig, scrape, or wound.
2. To rub or scrape the skin to relieve itching.
3. To make a harsh scraping sound.
4. To gather funds or produce a living with difficulty.
5. 1. To withdraw from a contest.
   2. Games. To make a shot in billiards that results in a penalty, as when the cue ball falls into a pocket or jumps the cushion.

n.

1. 1. A mark resembling a line that is produced by scratching.
   2. A slight wound.
2. A hasty scribble.
3. A sound made by scratching.
4. 1. Sports. The starting line for a race.
   2. A contestant who has been withdrawn from a competition.
5. Games.
   1. The act of scratching in billiards.
   2. A fluke or chance shot in billiards.
6. Poultry feed.
7. Slang. Money.

adj.

1. Done haphazardly or by chance.
2. Assembled hastily or at random.
3. Sports. Having no golf handicap.

idioms:

from scratch

1. From the very beginning.

scratch the surface

1. To investigate or treat something superficially.

up to scratch Informal.

1. Meeting the requirements.
2. In fit condition.

[Middle English scracchen, probably blend of scratten, to scratch, and cracchen, to scratch (possibly from Middle Dutch cratsen).]

scratcher scratch'er n.

View more Science videos

Process of erasing the data on a computer-storage device, such as a magnetic tape or disk, before reusing it. Ample controls must be in place to ensure that any unneeded information be scratched, because data cannot be restored to a scratched tape.

also scratch out

verb

1. To bring or come into abrasive contact, often with a harsh grating sound: grate, rasp, scrape. See sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.
2. To remove or invalidate by or as if by running a line through or wiping clean. annul, blot (out), cancel, cross (off or out), delete, efface, erase, expunge, obliterate, rub (out), strike (out), undo, wipe (out), x (out). Law vacate. See continue/stop/pause.
3. To decide not to go ahead with (something previously arranged): call off, cancel. Slang scrub. See continue/stop/pause.

noun

1. An incision, a notch, or a slight cut made with or as if with a knife: score, scotch, slash. See marks.
2. Something, such as coins or printed bills, used as a medium of exchange: cash, currency, lucre, money. Informal wampum. Slang bread, cabbage, dough, gelt, green, jack, lettuce, long green, mazuma, moola. Chiefly British brass. See money.

Idioms beginning with scratch:
scratch one's head
scratch the surface

See also from scratch; up to par (scratch).

n

Definition: small cut or mark
Antonyms: perfection

v

Definition: cancel
Antonyms: schedule, set up

v

Definition: cut; make a mark on
Antonyms: heal, mend, smooth

1. [from scratchpad] adj. Describes a data structure or recording medium attached to a machine for testing or temporary-use purposes; one that can be scribbled on without loss. Usually in the combining forms scratch memory, scratch register, scratch disk, scratch tape, scratch volume. See also scratch monkey.

2. [primarily IBM, also Commodore] vt. To delete (as in a file).

---

To score or groove a plaster surface to provide a better bond for the succeeding coat.

---

1. n. money.  I just don't have the scratch.
2. tv. to eliminate something from a list; to cancel something.  We decided to scratch the idea of a new car. The old one will have to do.
3. mod. impromptu; temporary.  We started a scratch game of basketball, but most of the girls had to leave at dinnertime.

---

IN BRIEF: A mark made by something sharp; to use the fingers to try to make an itch go away.

Don't itch for things you're not willing to scratch for. — Unknown, from Albert W. Daw Collection.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

sign description: The index finger scratches along the palm of the opposite hand.

---

noun
noun, orig US

A forger of banknotes, etc. (1859 — 1941).

[See scratch verb.]

Previous:	scratch, scrap iron, scran
Next:	scream, screamer, screaming eagle

1. the common motor response to pruritus in dogs and cats. It frequently causes more severe injury and secondary infection to the skin.
2. withdrawing a horse or Greyhound from a race after it has finally accepted.
3. a rodeo term for when a horse's sides are raked with spurs.

For a list of words related to scratch, see:

• Injuries and Accidents - scratch: superficial lengthwise abrasion
• Styles and Genres - scratch: urban, black dance music similar to rap but using rhythmic sound made by manually moving a record back-and-forth under a turntable needle, orig. 1980's
• Performance, Airplay, and the Recording Industry - scratch: (vb) make rhythmic sound by moving record back-and-forth under a turntable needle
• Bowling
• Pool and Billiards
• Descriptions of Sounds

---

See words rhyming with "scratcher."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Scratch.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - kradse, rive, skramme, skrabe, stryge, trække tilbage
v. intr. - klø, sprutte, skrabe, nedkradse, nedskrive
n. - rift, rids, flænge, skramme, kradsen, skraben, pennestrøg, startlinie
adj. - improviseret, sammenskrabet

idioms:

• from scratch    fra bunden, forfra, på bar bund
• scratch a living    lige klare sig
• scratch along    lige klare sig
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    gør du mig en tjeneste så gør jeg en gentjeneste
• scratch one's head    klø sig i hovedet
• scratch out    slette, strege ud
• scratch pad    notesblok
• scratch paper    papir til løse notater
• scratch the surface    behandle overfladisk, ikke gå i dybden
• up to scratch    god nok, fyldestgørende

Nederlands (Dutch)
krassen, (af)krabben, schrammen, wroeten, zich krabben, schram, krab, kras

Français (French)
v. tr. - supprimer, (Comput) effacer, graver (des initiales), tracer, griffer, égratigner, gratter (un bouton), érafler, (Sport) retirer, scratcher
v. intr. - se gratter, griffer
n. - (gén) égratignure, éraflure, grattement, niveau (de), (à la) hauteur, (de) zéro, (Sport) scratch
adj. - de fortune, improvisé

idioms:

• from scratch    (partir) de zéro
• scratch a living    gagner sa vie péniblement
• scratch along    avoir du mal à joindre les deux bouts
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    donnant-donnant
• scratch one's head    se gratter la tête
• scratch out    (Sport) retirer, scratcher, arracher
• scratch pad    (Comput) (sorte de) mémoire temporaire, bloc-notes
• scratch paper    papier de notes
• scratch the surface    gratter la surface
• up to scratch    (maintenir qch) au niveau voulu

Deutsch (German)
v. - ritzen, kratzen, scharren, streichen
n. - Schramme, Kratzer, Kratzen
adj. - zusammengewürfelt, Zufalls-

idioms:

• from scratch    von Anfang an
• scratch a living    sich schlecht und recht ernähren
• scratch along    schlecht und recht durchkommen
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    eine Hand wäscht die andere
• scratch one's head    sich am Kopf kratzen
• scratch out    ausstreichen
• scratch pad    Notizblock
• scratch paper    Schmierpapier
• scratch the surface    etwas streifen
• up to scratch    in Form

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - γρατσουνίζω, ξύνω/-ομαι, διαγράφω, αποσύρω υποψήφιο
n. - αμυχή, γρατσουνιά, διαγραφή, ξύσιμο, (αθλοπ.) αφετηρία, (αργκό) λεφτά
adj. - (καθομ.) πρόχειρος, αυτοσχέδιος, ετερόκλητος, (για αγώνα) χωρίς χάντικαπ

idioms:

• from scratch    από το μηδέν
• scratch a living    κουτσοπορεύομαι
• scratch along    κουτσοπορεύομαι
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    βόηθα και βοηθώ ν' ανεβούμε το βουνό!
• scratch one's head    ξύνω (αμήχανα) το κεφάλι μου, στύβω το μυαλό μου
• scratch out    βγάζω με ξύσιμο, διαγράφω, εξαλείφω
• scratch pad    (πρόχειρο) σημειωματάριο, (Η/Υ) ηλεκτρονικό "σημειωματάριο"
• scratch paper    πρόχειρο χαρτί
• scratch the surface    ξύνω την επιφάνεια, (μτφ.) εξετάζω επιπόλαια, (μτφ.) ψάχνω κάτω από την επιφάνεια
• up to scratch    στο ύψος των περιστάσεων

Italiano (Italian)
graffiare, grattare, razzolare, scorticare, graffio, scalfittura

idioms:

• from scratch    daccapo
• scratch along    vivacchiare
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    una mano lava l'altra
• scratch one's head    grattarsi la testa
• scratch out    cancellare
• scratch paper    carta per appunti
• scratch the surface    zappare in superficie, fermarsi alla superficie delle cose
• up to scratch    all'altezza

Português (Portuguese)
v. - arranhar
n. - arranhão (m), coçadura (f), rabisco (m)
adj. - usado para rascunho

idioms:

• from scratch    partir do zero
• scratch along    ir vivendo
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    coce minhas costas que eu irei coçar as suas
• scratch one's head    coçar a cabeça
• scratch out    riscar
• scratch paper    papel de rascunho
• scratch the surface    tratar um assunto superficialmente
• up to scratch    à altura

Русский (Russian)
царапина, царапанье, скрип, чириканье, закорючка, линия старта, участник соревнования, не получающий преимущества при старте, накладка из волос, случайно или наспех собранный вместе, наспех написанный, нарисованный, неумышленный, царапать, рыхлить (землю), скрипеть, чирикать, чесать, выгравировать, нацарапать, скрестись, выскребать

idioms:

• from scratch    из ничего, на пустом месте
• scratch along    с трудом сводить концы с концами
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    услуга за услугу, рука руку моет
• scratch one's head    быть озадаченным (чем-л.)
• scratch out    вычеркивать, перечеркивать
• scratch paper    бумага для заметок, черновиков
• scratch the surface    поверхностно излагать, изучать и т.п.
• up to scratch    на должной высоте, в хорошем состоянии, в соответствии с требованиями

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - rayar, arañar, grabar, raspar, rascar, escarbar, rasguñar
v. intr. - rascarse, raspear (la pluma)
n. - arañazo, rasguño, raya, chirrido
adj. - borroneado, para borronear, sin ventaja

idioms:

• from scratch    desde el principio, de la nada
• scratch a living    ir tirando, vivir muy justo
• scratch along    ir tirando
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    un favor con favor se paga
• scratch one's head    quedarse perplejo, rascarse la cabeza
• scratch out    cancelar, tachar, sacar con las uñas
• scratch pad    bloc para apuntes, memoria a corto plazo, memoria auxiliar o transitoria, zona de trabajo
• scratch paper    papel de borrador
• scratch the surface    no profundizar mucho, tocar por encima
• up to scratch    tan bueno como siempre, a la altura de las circunstancias

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - klösa, riva, rispa, klia, rista i, krafsa, stryka, utesluta
n. - skråma, rispa, repa, skrubbsår, skrap, skrapande ljud
adj. - tillfälligt hopplockad, slumpvis hopkommen, hoprafsad, brokig, improviserad

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
搔, 挖出, 抓, 发刮擦声, 抓痕, 刮擦声, 擦伤, 乱涂, 碰巧的, 打草稿用的, 凑合的

idioms:

• from scratch    从头开始, 从起点开始
• scratch a living    勉强谋生, 勉强糊口
• scratch along    勉强糊口, 艰难地谋生
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    你捧我、我就捧你
• scratch one's head    搔头皮
• scratch out    划掉, 勾去
• scratch pad    便条簿, 计算机高速缓冲区
• scratch paper    便条纸
• scratch the surface    触及表面
• up to scratch    准备起跑, 准备行动, 达到标准

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 搔, 挖出, 抓
v. intr. - 發刮擦聲, 抓, 搔
n. - 抓痕, 刮擦聲, 擦傷, 亂塗
adj. - 碰巧的, 打草稿用的, 湊合的

idioms:

• from scratch    從頭開始, 從起點開始
• scratch a living    勉強謀生, 勉強糊口
• scratch along    勉強糊口, 艱難地謀生
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    你捧我﹑我就捧你
• scratch one's head    搔頭皮
• scratch out    劃掉, 勾去
• scratch pad    便條簿, 電腦高速緩衝區
• scratch paper    便條紙
• scratch the surface    觸及表面
• up to scratch    準備起跑, 準備行動, 達到標準

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 할퀴다, 휘갈겨 쓰다, 지우다
v. intr. - (가려운 데를) 긁다, 근근히 살아가다, (경쟁, 일 등에서) 손을 떼다
n. - 긁기, 휘갈겨 쓰기, 핸디캡을 받지 않고 달리는 선수의 출발점
adj. - 휘갈겨 쓰기 위한, 갑자기 만든, 대등한

idioms:

• scratch along    가까스로 살아가다
• scratch out    긁어 구멍을 내다
• up to scratch    출발점에 나가다, 기죽지 않고 대전하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - ひっかく, ひっかき傷をつくる, 掻く, 走り書きする, ひっかいて取る, 参加を取り消す, 棄権する, 削除する, ひっかかる
n. - ひっかいた跡, かくこと, 棄権者, ひっかく音, ノイズ, 現金, 引っ掻き傷
adj. - かき集めた, 寄せ集めの, 間に合わせの, 走り書き用の, ハンディのない

idioms:

• from scratch    スタートラインから
• scratch along    何とか生計を立てる
• scratch my back and I'll scratch yours    水心あれば魚心
• scratch one's head    頭をかく
• scratch out    削除する, 取り消す
• scratch paper    メモ用紙
• scratch the surface    上っつらをなでる
• up to scratch    ある水準に達して, よい状態になって

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يصر صريرا خفيفا, يحفر أو ينبش بأظافره (الاسم) صرير خفيف, خدش (صفه) ضربه خاطئه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮גירד, שרט, שפשף, פסל (מתוך רשימה), שרבט (פתק), כתב במהירות‬
v. intr. - ‮התגרד, הסתכל סביבו‬
n. - ‮גירוד, שריטה, פצע שטחי, חיכוך, חריקה, צרימה, קו-הזינוק‬
adj. - ‮נפסל מתחרות, כסף, חסר-יתרון, מתחיל מאפס, חטוף, חפוז, מאולתר‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.