scour

present singular third person scours · participle present scouring · participle past scoured · past scoured · alternative scower

1. transitiveTo clean, polish, or wash (something) by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously, frequently with an abrasive or cleaning agent.

   He scoured the burnt food from the pan.

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   If tranſcribers and printers, or editors, will be perpetually varying from the ſpelling of their author, we ſhall neceſſarily have a conſtant ſource of corruption: for by this alteration, which inſenſibly goes on from ſmaller to greater things, that antique caſt is loſt, which of itſelf carries ſo venerable an aſpect; and our modern editors, in this reſpect, reſemble the officious ſervant of the late learned antiquary Dr. Woodward, who in ſcowering off the ruſt from an old ſhield, which his maſter had juſt purchaſed, made it more reſemble the new ſcowered cover of an old kettle, than the ſhield of an ancient heroe.

   1751, John Upton, A Letter Concerning a New Edition of Spenser’s Faerie Queene. To Gilbert West, Esq., London: […] G. Hawkins, […], →OCLC, section VI, page 36

   They all looked directly at the ſcullion,—the ſcullion had juſt been ſcouring a fiſh-kettle.

   1762, [Laurence Sterne], chapter IX, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume V, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. Dehondt, […], →OCLC, page 52

   A light brown sand, of an exceeding fine grain, almost impalpable, from the river Sullane, near New-bridge, where it is found in plenty. It scours brass without scratching, cleans silver, and is excellent for casting the finer works, both of the brazier and silversmith.

   1815, Charles Smith, “Of the Most Remarkable Fossils Discovered in this County”, in The Ancient and Present State of the County and City of Cork. […], new edition, volume II, Cork, Munster, Ireland: […] John Connor, […], →OCLC, paragraph 2, page 391

   There were the tawny rocks, like lions couchant, defying the ocean, whose waves incessantly dashed against and scoured them with vast quantities of gravel.

   1865, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “The Shipwreck”, in [Sophia Thoreau; William Ellery Channing], editors, Cape Cod, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 14

2. transitiveTo remove debris and dirt (from something) by purging; to sweep along or off by a current of water.

   I will redeeme all this on Percies head, / And in the cloſing of ſome glorious day / Be bold to tell you that I am your ſonne, / When I will weare a garment all of bloud, / And ſtaine my fauors in a bloudy maske, / Which waſht away ſhall ſcoure my ſhame with it, […]

   I will redeem myself by defeating Percy, / And at the close of some glorious day, / [I will] be bold to tell you that I am your son, / When I will be covered in blood like wearing a garment, / And my face is stained with blood as if wearing a mask, / Which, when washed away, shall scour my shame with it, […]

   c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

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   It has already been explained that the ebb tide in the Hooghly is a much more powerful scouring agent than the flood tide, that the tide therefore should be used for scouring a channel in preference to the flood whenever it is practicable to use it, hence it is to the body of ebbing water that scours out the fine channel from Akelmeg to Crossing Creek that attention will be principally directed, and not to the flood that scours the channel near the Roopnarain entrance.

   1865, Hugh Leonard, “Upper Section.—The James and Mary Shoals.”, in Report on the River Hooghly, … Bengal, 1865, London: […] George Edward Eyre and William Spottiswoode, printers to the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, →OCLC, paragraph 92, page 28

3. transitivebiologyTo clear the digestive tract (of an animal) by administering medication that induces defecation or vomiting; to purge.

   to scour a horse

4. ambitransitivebiologyTo (cause livestock to) suffer from diarrhoea or dysentery.

   If a lamb is scouring, do not delay treatment.

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   It has been stated by trustworthy authorities that certain waters in the lias-formation possess scouring properties. […] Mr. Clarke likewise mentions two cases. "In one instance," he says, "a large piece of pasture-land was found to scour the cows kept upon it, to the great loss of the occupier, until he hit upon the expedient of cutting off the supply of spring-water from a neighbouring brook, and confining the supply to the rain-water held in the ditches,—the result of which has been that very little of the disorder has since appeared upon the land referred to.[…]"

   1862, Augustus Voelcker, “X.—On the Scouring Lands of Central Somerset. … [Report of an Investigation Made at the Request of the Council of the Bath and West of England Society.]”, in Journal of the Bath and West of England Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, volume X, part I, London: James Ridgway, […], →OCLC, section 3 (Examination of the Water Theory), page 191

5. ambitransitiveobsoleteTo cleanse (something) without rubbing.

   Flanders soap is the substance which appeared to act in the most advantageous manner; it scowers very speedily, and gives wool a degree of whiteness which it is extremely difficult to produce by any other means.

   1805 August, Bouillon Lagrange, “Extract from a Memoir on the Steeping of Wool, and the Influence of Its Different States on Dyeing. […]”, in The Repertory of Arts, Manufactures, and Agriculture, volume XXXIX (Second Series), London: Printed for J. Wyatt, […], →OCLC, page 222

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   It is reported, that in ſome Lakes, the Water is ſo Nitrous, as if Foule Cloathes be put into it, it ſcoureth them of it ſelfe: And if they ſtay any whit long, they moulder away. And the Scouring Vertue of Nitre is the more to be noted, becauſe it is a Body Cold; And wee ſee Warme Water ſcoureth better than Cold.

   1631, Francis [Bacon], “IV. Century. [Experiment Solitary Touching Nitre [marginal note].]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 362, page 95

plural scours · alternative scower

1. countableuncountableThe removal of sediment caused by swiftly moving water.

   Bridge scour may scoop out scour holes and compromise the integrity of the structure.

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   The general manner of working this sluice is to take in every alternate tide during the high tides in dry weather, and to let them off for scours for the harbour. In wet weather, or during neap tides, no scours are kept back, nor is it of any consequence to the harbour if no tides are suffered to pass up through the sluice at such times.

   1845, John Meryon, “An Account of the Origin and Formation of the Harbour of the Ancient Town of Rye; […]”, in John Weale, editor, Quarterly Papers on Engineering, volume IV, number VII, London: John Weale […], →OCLC, Section IV (Of the Four Sluices, and on Their Comparative Good and Evil Effects on Their Respective Channels. Of the Alleged Danger of an Open Channel. Of the Wicked Perversion of Harbour Funds to Individual Profit.), page 77

   It is believed that scour, caused by record river flows as a result of snow melt and heavy rainfall, triggered the collapse of the Yellowstone Twin River Bridges in Stillwater County, Montana, on June 24.

   2023 July 12, “Network News: US bridge collapse highlights dangers of river scour”, in RAIL, number 987, page 11

2. countableuncountableA place scoured out by running water, as in the bed of a stream below a waterfall.

   Fish as near the middle of the stream as you can in the spring months, and also on the shallows and scowers; but in the winter, in deep holes; let the bait drag two or three inches on the ground.

   1825, Pierce Egan, “The Chub, or Chevin”, in Sporting Anecdotes, Original and Selected; […], new considerably enlarged and improved edition, London: […] Sherwood, Jones and Co. […], →OCLC, page 220

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   Trout always have a recognised home of their own, inhabited by a pretty fixed number of individuals. If you catch the two sole denizens of a particular scour, you will find another pair installed in their place to-morrow.

   1881, Grant Allen, “Speckled Trout”, in The Evolutionist at Large, London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, pages 115–116

3. countableuncountableA place where wool is washed to remove grease and impurities prior to processing.

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   I am particularly interested in the wool processing indusries, which make a major contribution to the Hawke's Bay regional economy. There are five wool scours in the area, all of them located within the Hawke's Bay electorate. […] I am pleased to report that the prototype Drycom system was given its first full trial at the UEB Awatoto scour in Hawke's Bay.

   1984 September 19, Bill [William David] Sutton, “Address in Reply”, in Parliamentary Debates (Hansard): First Session, Forty-first Parliament, 1984: House of Representatives, volume 457, Wellington: P. D. Hasselberg, government printer, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 327

4. countableuncountableDiarrhoea, in livestock; scouring.

   The Cause and Nature of the Skit, or Scour, of Sheep and Lambs.

   1749, William Ellis, A Compleat System of Experienced Improvements, Made on Sheep, Grass-lambs, and House-lambs: Or, ... the Shepherd's Sure Guide: ... In Three Books. By William Ellis, ..., page 355

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   […] lambs, and on the appearance of the skit or scour, the necessity for a change of food is indicated.

   1900, Thomas Hartwell Horne, The Complete Grazier and Farmers' and Cattle-breeders' Assistant: Forming a Compendium of Husbandry, page 1051

present singular third person scours · participle present scouring · participle past scoured · past scoured · alternative scower

1. transitiveTo search an area thoroughly.

   A search engine will scour the web for you.

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   They scoured the scene of the crime for clues.

   Tashtego's long, lean, sable hair, his high cheek bones, and black rounding eyes— […] all this sufficiently proclaimed him an inheritor of the unvitiated blood of those proud warrior hunters, who, in quest of the great New England moose, had scoured, bow in hand, the aboriginal forests of the main.

   1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Knights and Squires”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 131

   Her dad had been on benefits for years so she never ever received pocket money. When she walked to school she would scour the pavements for coins.

   2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN

   Assuming her daughter had gone inside to escape the rain, she asked the store clerk if Jo-Anne was waiting inside. The clerk answered that she was no longer there. Visibly panicked, both split up and began scouring the parking lot and the building’s perimeter. They checked behind the store, trash bins, and around the payphone booth, yelling Jo-Anne’s name into the rain.

   2026 July 25, Nicholas Muhoro, “The Last Call of Jo-Anne Pedersen, the Girl Who Vanished From a Payphone”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 26 Jul 2026

2. intransitiveTo run with speed; to scurry.

   Lord. Behind the tuft of Pines I met them, neuer Saw I men scowre so on their way: I eyed them Euen to their Ships.

   c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]

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   So four fierce Courſers ſtarting to the Race, / Scow'r thro' the Plain, and lengthen ev'ry Pace: / Nor Reigns, nor Curbs, nor threat'ning Cries they fear, / But force along the trembling Charioteer.

   1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 70, lines 690–693

   This particularly obtains in all Parliamentary affairs. Whether the business in hand be to get a man in, or get a man out, or get a man over, or promote a railway, or jockey a railway, or what else, nothing is understood to be so effectual as scouring nowhere in a violent hurry—in short, as taking cabs and going about.

   1864 May – 1865 November, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1865, →OCLC

3. transitiveTo move swiftly over; to brush along.

   When Ajax ſtrives, ſome Rock's vaſt Weight to throw, / The Line too labours, and the Words move ſlow; / Not ſo, when ſwift Camilla ſcours the plain, / Flies o'er th'unbending Corn, and skims along the Main.

   1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC, pages 22–23

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   We near him! We near him [an ostrich]! Ah, laggard, 'tis vain / That with rapid feet casting the dusty clouds back, / In circles wide wheeling, thou scourest the plain, / For Ayoud, untiring, is close on thy track.

   1844 March, W[illiam] S[tarbuck] Mayo, “The Bedouin”, in The United States Magazine and Democratic Review, volume XIV, number LXIX, Washington, D.C.: Langtree & [John Louis] O'Sullivan, →OCLC, page 290