26984 words

scratch

16 definitions • 26 examples
1
to cut or damage a surface or your skin slightly with or on something sharp or rough:

Examples:

We scratched the wall trying to get the bed into Martha's room.
Be careful not to scratch yourself on the roses.
scratch about/around for A few chickens were scratching about/around (= searching with their beaks) in the yard for grain.
2
If you scratch something on or off a surface, you add it or remove it by scratching:

Examples:

scratch something on something People have been scratching their names on this rock for years.
scratch something off something I scratched some paint off the door as I was getting out of the car.
3
If an animal scratches, it rubs something with its claws (= sharp nails):

Examples:

scratch at The dog's scratching at the door – he wants to be let in.
4
to rub your skin with your nails:

Examples:

scratch (at) He was scratching (at) his mosquito bites.
Hannah scratched her head thoughtfully.
5
to remove yourself or another person or an animal from a competition before the start:

Examples:

scratch from The world champion scratched from the 800 metres after injuring herself the day before.
scratch someone/something from something They scratched the horse from the race because she had become lame.
6
to decide not to do something you had planned to do:

Examples:

We had to scratch our plans when I lost my job.
7
used for saying you take back something you have just said, especially in order to say it in a better way or to say something different:

Examples:

Everything I did was in the cause of safety. No, scratch that – not safety but survival.
It would have been better to say your brother wasn’t driving the car at all. Scratch that – telling the truth is usually best in the end.
8
a mark made by scratching:

Examples:

Her legs were covered in scratches and bruises after her walk through the forest.
There was a scratch on the CD.
without a scratch Amazingly, he survived the accident without a scratch (= without suffering any injuries at all).
9
an act of scratching:

Examples:

have a scratch That dog is having a good scratch. It must have fleas.
10
a person or animal that leaves a competition before it starts:

Examples:

The Australian Open winner was a late scratch.
He was a last-minute scratch from Sunday's game because of inflammation in his right knee.
11
a group of people brought together in a hurry in order to play together on a particular occasion:

Examples:

He knew that any shortcomings of what was essentially a scratch side would be exposed by the opposition.
12
to cut or damage a surface with something sharp or rough, or to rub a part of your body with something sharp or rough:

Examples:

[ T ] He used a penknife to scratch his initials into the bark of the tree.
[ I ] You can hold the cat – she won’t scratch.
13
If you scratch your skin, you rub it with the nails of your fingers:

Examples:

[ T ] I know they itch, but don’t scratch your mosquito bites.
14
to remove yourself or another person or an animal from a competition before the start:

Examples:

[ I ] Mary Slaney scratched from the 1500-meter run because of an Achilles tendon problem.
15
To scratch is also to decide not to do something that you had planned to do; to cancel:

Examples:

[ T ] We were going to remodel our kitchen, but we had to scratch that when I lost my job.
16
a cut or mark that is made in a surface with something sharp or rough:

Examples:

Tiny particles of car wax fill in the little scratches on the car.

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