Etymology

scrabble

Scrab·ble
S1C3R1A1B3B3L1E1

Today it means: To scrape or scratch powerfully with hands or claws. Full definition →

Middle Dutch schrabbelen
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scrabble · verb, noun1

  1. Middle Dutch · derived fromschrabbelen
  2. English todayscrabble

From Middle Dutch schrabbelen, frequentative of schrabben (“to scrape”), equivalent to scrab + -le. More at scrape.

Scrabble · proper noun2

A brand name, from the verb scrabble, James Brunot's rebranding (1948) of Alfred Butts's game Criss-Crosswords (1938).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.