scrawl

What it means

1. countableuncountableIrregular, poor handwriting; especially, such writing that is illegible.

   Synonyms: chicken scratch

2. countableuncountableA hastily or carelessly written note etc.
3. countableuncountableWriting that lacks literary merit.

In a sentence

She scrawled the main points onto her notepad.

Where it comes from

1. Middle Englishscraulen“to spread out one's limbs; sprawl”
2. Englishscrawl

Possibly from Middle English scraulen (“to spread out one's limbs; sprawl”), itself an alteration of spraulen (“to sprawl”) or craulen, crawlen (“to crawl”). Alternatively, from scrall, a contraction of scrabble.