scarf

scarf · noun, verb¹

1. Old Northern French · derived fromescarpe
2. English todayscarf

Probably from Old Northern French escarpe (compare Old French escharpe (“pilgrim's purse suspended from the neck”), which see). The verb is derived from the noun. Doublet of scrip.

scarf · noun, verb²

1. Old Norse · derived fromskarfr
2. English todayscarf

Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old Norse skarfr, derivative of skera (“to cut”).

scarf · verb³

1. Old English · inherited fromscearfian
2. English todayscarf

Generally thought to be a variant, attested since the 1950s, of scoff (“eat (quickly)”) (of which scorf is another attested variant), itself a variant of scaff. Sometimes alternatively suggested to be a dialectal survival of Old English scearfian, sceorfan (“gnaw, bite”) (compare scurf).

scarf · noun⁴

1. Old Norse · derived fromskarfr
2. English todayscarf

From Old Norse skarfr.

Words from the same roots