scramb

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verb

To scratch (something) with claws or fingernails; to claw, to scram.

OriginDutch schrammen ← German schrammen ← Middle High German schramm →
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Meanings

verbscramb (third-person singular simple present scrambs, present participle scrambing, simple past and past participle scrambed)

present singular third person scrambs · participle present scrambing · participle past scrambed · past scrambed

  1. UKdialectaltransitiveTo scratch (something) with claws or fingernails; to claw, to scram.
  2. UKdialectaltransitiveTo pull down or rip off (something) with force.
  3. UKdialectalobsoletetransitiveTo scrape (something) together with the hands.
nounscramb (plural scrambs)

plural scrambs

  1. UKdialectaltransitiveA handful of something scraped together.

Origin

  1. Middle High Germanschramm
  2. Germanschrammen“to scratch, scrape”
  3. Dutchschrammen“to graze, scratch”
  4. Englishscramb

The verb, especially sense 2 (“to scratch with the claws or fingernails”), is possibly related to Dutch schrammen (“to graze, scratch”) and German schrammen (“to scratch, scrape”), from Late Middle High German schramm, schramme (“a graze, scratch”); further etymology unknown. The noun is derived from the verb.

More words from Dutch, German, Middle High German

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

scramb. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scramb

MLA

“scramb.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scramb. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scramb,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scramb.

Source: scramb on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.