scratch

scratch¹ [skrætʃ] v

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1¦(rub your skin)¦

2¦(cut somebody's skin)¦

3¦(make a mark)¦

4¦(animals)¦

5¦(remove something)¦

6¦(remove writing)¦

7¦(make a noise)¦

8 scratch the surface

9 scratch your head

10¦(stop something happening)¦

11¦(remove from race)¦

12 you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

Phrasal verbs

　scratch around

　scratch something<=>out

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[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Probably from scrat 'to scratch' (13-19 centuries) + cratch 'to scratch' (13-16 centuries)]

1.) ¦(RUB YOUR SKIN)¦ [I and T]

to rub your skin with your nails because it feels uncomfortable

→↑itch

▪ John yawned and scratched his leg.

▪ Try not to scratch.

scratch at

▪ He was scratching at the bites on his arm.

2.) ¦(CUT SOMEBODY'S SKIN)¦ [I and T]

to cut someone's skin slightly with your nails or with something sharp

▪ She ran at him and scratched his face.

▪ Don't scratch yourself on the thorns.

3.) ¦(MAKE A MARK)¦ [T]

to make a small cut or mark on something by pulling something sharp across it

▪ I'm afraid I've scratched your car.

▪ Some of the prisoners had scratched their names on the walls.

4.) ¦(ANIMALS)¦ [I always + adverb/preposition]

if an animal scratches, it rubs its feet against something, often making a noise

▪ A few chickens scratched around in the yard.

scratch at

▪ a dog scratching at the door to be let in

5.) ¦(REMOVE SOMETHING)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to remove something from a surface by rubbing it with something sharp

scratch sth off/away etc

▪ I scratched away a little of the paint with my fingernail.

6.) ¦(REMOVE WRITING)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to remove a word from a piece of writing by drawing a line through it

scratch sth from/off sth

▪ I have scratched his name from the list.

7.) ¦(MAKE A NOISE)¦ [I always + adverb/preposition]

to make a rough sound by moving something sharp across a surface

▪ His pen scratched away on the paper.

8.) scratch the surface

to deal with only a very small part of a subject or problem

scratch the surface of

▪ I think we have only scratched the surface of this problem.

9.) scratch your head informal

to think carefully about a difficult question or problem

▪ This crisis has politicians scratching their heads and wondering what to do.

10.)¦(STOP SOMETHING HAPPENING)¦ [T] informal

if you scratch an idea or a plan, you decide that you will not do it

11.) ¦(REMOVE FROM RACE)¦ [I and T] informal

if someone scratches from a race, or if you scratch them from the race, they do not take part in it

12.) you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

spoken used to say that you will help someone if they agree to help you

→scrape/scratch a living at ↑living² (1)

scratch around phr v

to try to find or get something which is difficult to find or get

scratch around for

▪ homeless people scratching around for a place to shelter

scratch out [scratch sth<=>out] phr v

to remove a word from a piece of writing by drawing a line through it

▪ Emma's name had been scratched out.

scratch ²

scratch² n

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1¦(cut)¦

2¦(mark)¦

3 from scratch

4 up to scratch

5¦(rub)¦

6¦(sound)¦

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1.) ¦(CUT)¦

a small cut on someone's skin

▪ There were deep scratches all over her face.

▪ Don't worry, it's only a scratch (=not a serious injury) .

▪ She was unharmed apart from a few cuts and scratches.

2.) ¦(MARK)¦

a thin mark or cut on the surface of something

▪ There was a big scratch on the car door.

3.) from scratch

if you start something from scratch, you begin it without using anything that existed or was prepared before

▪ We had to start again from scratch .

▪ He had built the business up from scratch .

4.) up to scratch

BrE informal good enough for a particular standard

▪ Some of this work isn't up to scratch.

bring/get sth up to scratch

▪ We spent thousands of pounds getting the house up to scratch.

5.) ¦(RUB)¦ [singular]

especially BrE when you rub part of your body with your nails because it feels uncomfortable

▪ He stretched and had a scratch .

▪ He brushed his hair and gave his scalp a good scratch .

6.) ¦(SOUND)¦

a sound made by something sharp or rough being rubbed on a hard surface

▪ I heard the scratch of a match lighting a cigarette.

scratch ³

scratch³ adj [no comparative]

1.) a scratch team or group of people has been put together in a hurry, using anyone that is available

2.) a scratch player in golf is very good and is not given any advantage in games