scramb

English

Etymology

The verb, especially sense 2 (“to scratch with the claws or fingernails”), is possibly related to Dutch schrammen (“to graze, scratch”)^[1] 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.

Verb

scramb (third-person singular simple present scrambs, present participle scrambing, simple past and past participle scrambed) (transitive, British, dialectal)

To scratch (something) with claws or fingernails; to claw, to scram.
To pull down or rip off (something) with force.
(obsolete) To scrape (something) together with the hands.

Related terms

Noun

scramb (plural scrambs)

A handful of something scraped together.

References

^ Joseph Wright, editor (1905), “SCRAMB, v. and sb.”, in The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume V (R–S), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, →OCLC, page 269: “To scratch with the nails or claws.”

[1] Joseph Wright, editor (1905), “SCRAMB, v. and sb.”, in The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume V (R–S), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, →OCLC, page 269: “To scratch with the nails or claws.”

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