Meanings
scrimshaw1
present singular third person scrimshaws · participle present scrimshawing · participle past scrimshawed · past scrimshawed
- transitivenauticalTo create (a small ornamental handicraft also called a scrimshaw) by carving or engraving on bone (originally whalebone or whales' teeth), ivory, or other materials.First known use mid 19th c.
- transitivenauticalTo carve or engrave (bone, ivory, or other materials) with ornamental designs.First known use mid 19th c.
- transitivenauticalTo carve or engrave (ornamental designs) on bone, ivory, or other materials.First known use mid 19th c.
- intransitivenauticalTo make a handicraft of scrimshaw.First known use early 19th c.
plural scrimshaws
- alsoattributivecountablenauticalA small ornamental handicraft created by carving or engraving bone (originally whalebone or whales' teeth), ivory, or other materials, formerly produced by sailors on whaling ships to pass the time on long voyages.First known use mid 19th c.
Rooney got his skull exposed, doggone it Soon he's gonna get scrimshaw carved on it
2008, Neil Cicierega, “Modify”, in View-Monster, performed by Lemon DemonSynonyms: scrimshander, scrimshandy
- alsoattributiveuncountablenauticalThe manufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials, formerly by sailors on whaling ships to pass the time on long voyages.First known use mid 19th c.
Synonyms: scrimshander, scrimshandering
Scrimshaw2
- A surname.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA small ornamental handicraft created by carving or engraving bone (originally whalebone or whales' teeth), ivory, or other materials, formerly produced by sailors on whaling ships to pass the time on long voyages.
nounThe manufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials, formerly by sailors on whaling ships to pass the time on long voyages.
Origin
- Old Frenchescremisseor“fencing-master”
- Englishscrimshaw
The origin of the verb is unknown, but it has possibly been influenced by the surname Scrimshaw. Various etymologies have been proposed (for example, that it derives from scrimshank (“(Britain, military slang) to be idle, to shirk duty”)), but the Oxford English Dictionary does not consider any of them convincing. Following the surname theory, Etymonline ultimately derives the word probably from Old French escremisseor (“fencing-master”). The noun is probably derived from the verb.
More words from Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic سكريمشا
- سكريمشاmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Catalan scrimshaw
- scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Dutch ivoor bewerken, knutselen
- ivoor bewerkento make a handicraft of scrimshaw
- knutselento make a handicraft of scrimshaw
- scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Finnish scrimshaw, norsunluukaiverrus
- scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
- norsunluukaiverrusmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
French scrimshaw
- scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
German Scrimshaw
- Scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Icelandic beinskurður
- beinskurðurmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Italian scrimshaw
- scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Polish scrimshaw
- scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Portuguese entalhar, talhar
- entalharto make a handicraft of scrimshaw
- talharto make a handicraft of scrimshaw
- scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Russian вырезать из раковины, вырезать из слоновой кости
- вырезать из раковины (vyrezatʹ iz rakoviny)to make a handicraft of scrimshaw
- вырезать из слоновой кости (vyrezatʹ iz slonovoj kosti)to make a handicraft of scrimshaw
Spanish scrimshaw
- scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Swedish scrimshaw
- scrimshawmanufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials
Cite this entry
scrimshaw. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scrimshaw
“scrimshaw.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scrimshaw. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scrimshaw,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scrimshaw.
Source: scrimshaw on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.