Meanings
plural chicken scratches
- countableuncountableChicken feed consisting of random mixed grains such as corn, wheat, barley, sorghum and milling by-products.
A soft odor of chicken scratch, mash, and manure always permeated the air when you approached. Attached to the chicken coop was a smokehouse that contained several smoked ham shoulders hanging from hooks.
2008, Richard Dwight Apgar, Tough Shit, Eliot: A Yank's Tale, Dorrance Publishing, →ISBN, page 1Synonyms: scratch[Appendix:Glossary
- countableidiomaticinformaluncountableCramped or illegible handwriting.
The pencil in my hand was limp between my fingers and I couldn't focus on the chicken scratch on the pages. My breathing had become shallow and my heart was racing. I was in the midst of a full-blown panic attack.
2014, A. Meredith Walters, Light in the Shadows, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 25Synonyms: scratch[Appendix:Glossary, scrawl
- countableuncountableA type of cross-stitch embroidery done on gingham fabric.
Synonyms: Amish embroidery, Depression lace
- countableuncountableA Tohono O'odham style of dance music derived from norteño.
- countableuncountableA type of dragging two-step performed to this.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounChicken feed consisting of random mixed grains such as corn, wheat, barley, sorghum and milling by-products.
nounCramped or illegible handwriting.
nounA type of cross-stitch embroidery done on gingham fabric.
Translations
Czech blechy
- blechyinformal: illegible handwriting
Danish kragetæer
- kragetæerinformal: illegible handwriting
Dutch hanenpoten
- hanenpoteninformal: illegible handwriting
Finnish harakanvarpaat
- harakanvarpaatinformal: illegible handwriting
French pattes de mouche, hiéroglyphes
- pattes de moucheinformal: illegible handwriting
- hiéroglyphesinformal: illegible handwriting
- griffonnageinformal: illegible handwriting
German Sauklaue, Krähenfüße
- Sauklaueinformal: illegible handwriting
- Krähenfüßeinformal: illegible handwriting
Greek ορνιθοσκαλίσματα
- ορνιθοσκαλίσματα (ornithoskalísmata)informal: illegible handwriting
Malay cakar ayam
- cakar ayaminformal: illegible handwriting
Polish pisanie jak kura pazurem
- pisanie jak kura pazureminformal: illegible handwriting
Portuguese garrancho
- garranchoinformal: illegible handwriting
Russian кара́кули, как ку́рица лапой
- кара́кули (karákuli)informal: illegible handwriting
- как ку́рица лапой (kak kúrica lapoj)informal: illegible handwriting
Spanish garrapato, garambainas
- garrapatoinformal: illegible handwriting
- garambainasinformal: illegible handwriting
- garabatoinformal: illegible handwriting
Thai อักษรไก่เขี่ย
- อักษรไก่เขี่ย (àk-sɔ̌ɔn-gài-kìia)informal: illegible handwriting
Ukrainian кара́кулі, як ку́рка ла́пою
- кара́кулі (karákuli)informal: illegible handwriting
- як ку́рка ла́пою (jak kúrka lápoju)informal: illegible handwriting
Vietnamese chữ như gà bới
- chữ như gà bớiinformal: illegible handwriting
Cite this entry
chicken scratch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chicken%20scratch
“chicken scratch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chicken%20scratch. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chicken scratch,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chicken%20scratch.
Source: chicken scratch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.