v.
- score or mark with a sharp or pointed object.
▸make a long, narrow superficial wound in the skin of.
▸rub (a part of one's body) with one's fingernails to relieve itching.
▸(of a bird or mammal) rake the ground with the beak or claws in search of food.
▸
(often scratch around/along)
make a living or find resources with difficulty.
- cancel or strike out (writing) with a pen or pencil.
▸withdraw from a competition.
▸cancel or abandon (an undertaking or project).
- play a record using the scratch technique.
n.
- a mark or wound made by scratching.
▸informal a slight or insignificant wound or injury.
▸an act or period of scratching.
- the starting point in a race for a competitor that is not given a handicap or an advantage.
▸Golf a handicap of zero, indicating that a player is good enough to achieve par on a course.
- a technique, used especially in rap music, of stopping a record by hand and moving it back and forwards to give a rhythmic scratching effect.
- informal money.
adj.
- assembled or made from whatever is available.
- (of a sports competitor or event) with no handicap given.
Phrase
- from scratch
from the very beginning, especially without making use of any previous work. - scratch one's head
informal think hard in order to find a solution. - scratch the surface
deal with or investigate a matter only in the most superficial way. - up to scratch
up to the required standard; satisfactory.
Derivative
- scratcher n.
- scratching n.
Etymology
ME: prob. a blend of the synonymous dial. words scrat and cratch, both of uncertain origin.