scurvy

comparative scurvier · superlative scurviest

1. obsoleteAffected or covered with scurf (“skin disease causing flakes of skin to fall off”) or scabs; scurfy, scabby; also, of or relating to a skin disease causing scurf or to scurvy (noun sense 1).

   The bran of VVheate boiled in ſharpe vineger, and rubbed vpon them that be ſcuruie and mangie, easeth the partie very much.

   1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of Corne”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book I, page 60

   3 more examples

   Some wenches come vnlased, / Some hyswyues come vnbrased, / Wyth theyr naked pappes, / That flappes and flappes; / […] / A sorte of foule drabbes / All scuruy with scabbes: […]

   c. 1517 (date written; published c. 1545), John Skelton, “Here after Foloweth the Booke Called Elynour Rummynge. The Tunnyng of Elynour Rummyng per Skelton Laureat.”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 99, lines 133–136 and 139–140

   This medicine is vvell approued to cure all ſorts of Paine, Scratches, Moully heeles, or any other skiruy ſcalls vvhatſoeuer, that may breede in a horſes leg or heeles, […]

   1610, Gervase Markham, “Of the Paines”, in Markhams Maister-peece. Or, What doth a Horse-man Lacke. Containing All Possible Knowledge whatsoeuer which doth Belong to any Smith, Farrier, or Horse-leech, Touching the Curing of All Manner of Diseases or Sorrances in Horses; […], London: […] Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson, […], →OCLC, 2nd book (Containing All Cures Chyrurgicall, […]), page 351

   Whoſoeuer he be of thy ſeed in their generations, that hath any blemiſh, let him not approche to offer the bread of his God: […] [he] that hath a blemiſh in his eye, or be ſcuruy, or ſcabbed, […]

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Leviticus 21:17 and 20, column 1

   Synonyms: roynish, scabrous, reef, roynish, scabby, scabrate, scabrid, scabrous

2. broadlyobsoleteOf growths on plants: resembling scurf; scurfy.
3. archaicfigurativelyOf a person or thing: disgustingly mean; contemptible, despicable, low.

   a scurvy knave    a scurvy trick

   5 more examples

   Iſt not a ſcuruie ieſt, that a man ſhould ieſt himſelfe to death.

   c. 1587 (date written), [Thomas Kyd], The Spanish Tragedie: […] (Fourth Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for T[homas] Pauier, […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act III, signature F2, verso

   The Moore's abus'd by ſome outragious knaue: / Some baſe notorious knaue, some ſcuruy fellovv, […]

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 73

   VVhat a py'd Ninnie's this? Thou ſcuruy patch: / I do beſeech thy Greatneſſe giue him blovves, […]

   1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 12, column 1

   Hovv ſcuruy provvd he vvould looke, vvhen the Treaſury vvas full: / VVell, let him goe: […]

   [1612–1613 (date written), John Webster, The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy. […], London: […] Nicholas Okes, for Iohn Waterson, […], published 1623, →OCLC, Act III, scene ii, signature G2, verso

   And among other Regulations it vvould be very convenient to prevent the Exceſs of Drink, vvith that ſcurvy Cuſtom among the Lads, and Parent of the former Vice, the taking of Tobacco, vvhere it is not abſolutely neceſſary in Point of Health.

   1709, [Jonathan Swift], A Project for the Advancement of Religion, and the Reformation of Manners. […], London: […] Benj[amin] Tooke, […], →OCLC, page 29

   Synonyms: miserable, paltry, shabby, abject, filthy, base, beggarly, blameworthy

4. archaicfigurativelyOf the way someone is treated: poor, shabby.

plural scurvies

1. uncountableusuallymedicineA disease caused by insufficient intake of vitamin C, leading to the formation of livid spots on the skin, spongy gums, loosening of the teeth, and bleeding into the skin and from almost all mucous membranes; (countable, obsolete) an occurrence of this disease.

   [N]ovv vve have looſed the plough in the fields, they'l find vvork enough about home to keep us from the ſcurvey.

   c. 1607–1626 (date written), Thomas Heywood; William Rowly [i.e., William Rowley], Fortune by Land and Sea. A Tragi-comedy. […], London: […] John Sweeting […], and Robert Pollard […], published 1655, →OCLC, Act III, scene i, page 21

   5 more examples

   Our legs now vs deceiue, / ſwolne euery ioint withall, / With this diſeaſe, which, by your leaue, / the Scuruie men doe call.

   1589, Robert Baker, “The Second Voyage to Guinie, and the Riuer of Selto, Set Out in the Moneth of Nouember 1563, […]”, in Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, […], London: […] George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC, page 139

   [H]ee will go to the ſea, and teare the gold out of the Spaniards throats but he will haue it, byrlady when he comes there, poore ſoule hee lyes in brine in Baliſt, and is lamentable ſicke of the ſcuruies; […]

   1592, Thomas Nash[e], Pierce Penilesse His Supplication to the Deuill. […], London: […] [John Charlewood for] Richard Ihones, […], →OCLC, signature B2, verso

   [W]hich excellent plant [scurvy-grass], Cæſars ſoldiers […] found to preuaile […] againſt that plague and hurtfull diſeaſe of the teeth, gums, and ſinevves, called the Scuruie, being a depriuation of all good bloode and moiſture, in the vvhole bodie, called Scorbutum; in Engliſh the Scuruie, and Skyrbie: […]

   1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of Scuruie Grasse, or Spoonewoort”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book II, page 325, column 2

   The Scurvies is the Mother and Nurſery of all Diſeaſes: and upon taking old, or any diſorder of Body, they branch out one Diſtemper or other, and yet the grand cauſe, vvhich is the Scurvies, remains all in one Body.

   1674 October 25 (Gregorian calendar), George Jones, This is to Give You Notice of My Friendly Pill: The Like whereof was Never Found Out before, for Doing Good: […], London: [s.n.], →OCLC, pages 8–9

   But I muſt allovv that this VVater is moſt indovv'd vvith theſe Acid Streams by this means, and may repute it as moſt Medicinal in Scurvies, on the Score of the Quantity of Acid, Chalybeat, and Allummy, extraordinary in this.

   1711, Benjamin Allen, “Scarborough-water in Yorkshire”, in The Natural History of the Mineral-waters of Great-Britain. […], London: […] [F]or the author, and sold by William Innys, […], →OCLC, page 34

   Synonyms: Barlow's disease, Cheadle-Möller-Barlow syndrome, Cheadle's disease, Moeller's disease, Möller-Barlow disease, scorbutus

2. countablederogatoryfigurativelyusuallyA contemptible or despicable person.

   Row, row you scurvies, / She'll have us boiled in oil. / Move, move those creaking oars, / until you reach Cape soil.

   2002, Roy Vincent Buckle, “Sea Shanty: The Ballad of Kate d’Vere”, in Africans and Aliens, Lincoln, Neb.: Writers Club Press, iUniverse, →ISBN, part 2 (Cherchez la Femme), page 76

   2 more examples

   Muppet Treasure Island (1996) Avast! There be no treasure on this island, just a bunch of googly-eyed, synthetic scurvies staging a bastardized retelling of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson adventure.

   2004 October, “Don’t Go There! Our Desert-island List of Desert Islands where You’d Never Want to be Stranded”, in Sia Michel, editor, Spin, volume 20, number 10, New York, N.Y.: Vibe/Spin Ventures, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 52, column 2

   Her friends kept writing her warning her that the man market was not that fortuitous, and filled [with] wormies, and scurvies, unctuous bedfellows that would make her chin jut out— […]

   2022 September 13, Carrie Chang, The Dieters: Confessions of a Valley Girl in Plaid, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN

   Synonyms: arsehole, ass, assface, asshat, asshole, asswipe, bastard, bitch

3. broadlyobsoleteuncountableusuallybiologyA cattle disease, perhaps affecting the skin.