scratch
[verb]
Synonyms:
- mark, claw, cut, damage, etch, grate, graze, lacerate, score, scrape
- withdraw, cancel, delete, eliminate, erase, pull out
[noun]
Synonyms:
- mark, blemish, claw mark, gash, graze, laceration, scrape
- up to scratch: adequate, acceptable, satisfactory, sufficient, up to standard
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- improvised, impromptu, rough-and-ready

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Related Words: squeak, squeal

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English Thesaurus: touch, feel, handle, finger, rub, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. scratch¹ S3 /skrætʃ/ verb
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Probably from scrat 'to scratch' (13-19 centuries) + cratch 'to scratch' (13-16 centuries)]

1. RUB YOUR SKIN [intransitive and transitive] to rub your skin with your nails because it feels uncomfortable ⇒ itch:
John yawned and scratched his leg.
Try not to scratch.
scratch at
He was scratching at the bites on his arm.

2. CUT SB’S SKIN [intransitive and transitive] to cut someone’s skin slightly with your nails or with something sharp:
She ran at him and scratched his face.
Don’t scratch yourself on the thorns.

3. MAKE A MARK [transitive] to make a small cut or mark on something by pulling something sharp across it:
I’m afraid I’ve scratched your car.
Some of the prisoners had scratched their names on the walls.

4. ANIMALS [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if an animal scratches, it rubs its feet against something, often making a noise:
A few chickens scratched around in the yard.
scratch at
a dog scratching at the door to be let in

5. REMOVE SOMETHING [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to remove something from a surface by rubbing it with something sharp
scratch something off/away etc
I scratched away a little of the paint with my fingernail.

6. REMOVE WRITING [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to remove a word from a piece of writing by drawing a line through it Synonym : cross out
scratch something from/off something
I have scratched his name from the list.

7. MAKE A NOISE [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to make a rough sound by moving something sharp across a surface:
His pen scratched away on the paper.

8. scratch the surface to deal with only a very small part of a subject or problem
scratch the surface of
I think we have only scratched the surface of this problem.

9. scratch your head informal to think carefully about a difficult question or problem:
This crisis has politicians scratching their heads and wondering what to do.

10. STOP SOMETHING HAPPENING [transitive] informal if you scratch an idea or a plan, you decide that you will not do it Synonym : abandon

11. REMOVE FROM RACE [intransitive and transitive] informal if someone scratches from a race, or if you scratch them from the race, they do not take part in it

12. you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours spoken used to say that you will help someone if they agree to help you
⇒ scrape/scratch a living at living²(1)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. scratch² noun

1. CUT [countable] a small cut on someone’s skin:
There were deep scratches all over her face.
Don’t worry, it’s only a scratch (=not a serious injury).
She was unharmed apart from a few cuts and scratches.

2. MARK [countable] a thin mark or cut on the surface of something:
There was a big scratch on the car door.

3. from scratch if you start something from scratch, you begin it without using anything that existed or was prepared before:
We had to start again from scratch.
He had built the business up from scratch.

4. up to scratch British English informal good enough for a particular standard:
Some of this work isn’t up to scratch.
bring/get something up to scratch
We spent thousands of pounds getting the house up to scratch.

5. RUB [singular] especially British English when you rub part of your body with your nails because it feels uncomfortable:
He stretched and had a scratch.
He brushed his hair and gave his scalp a good scratch.

6. SOUND [countable] a sound made by something sharp or rough being rubbed on a hard surface:
I heard the scratch of an animal’s claws on the door.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. scratch³ adjective [no comparative]

1. a scratch team or group of people has been put together in a hurry, using anyone that is available

2. a scratch player in golf is very good and is not given any advantage in games

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

scratch
noun
ADJ. deep, long, nasty, terrible | light, little, minor, slight, small, superficial His only injuries were some minor scratches above his eye.
VERB + SCRATCH have
SCRATCH + NOUN mark
PREP. without a ~ She emerged from the wrecked vehicle without a scratch.
~ on I've got some nasty scratches on my legs.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

scratch
verb
ADV. badly The table had been badly scratched.
PREP. at He kept scratching at his nose.
on I scratched my arm on a rose bush.
with She scratched his face with her nails.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

touch to put your fingers or hand onto someone or something for a very short time:
Don’t touch the iron – it’s hot!
feel to touch something with your fingers in order to find out about it:
Feel how soft this material is.
I felt his forehead. It was cold.
handle to touch something and pick it up and hold it in your hands:
Children should always wash their hands before handling food.
The glass was very fragile, and she handled it with great care.
Please do not handle the merchandise.
finger to touch or handle something with your fingers, especially while you are thinking of other things:
She fingered the heavy necklace around her neck.
rub to move your hand over a surface while pressing it:
Bob rubbed his eyes and yawned.
scratch to rub part of your body with your nails, often because it ITCHES:
The dog kept scratching its ear.
Bob scratched his head thoughtfully.
tickle to move your fingers lightly over someone’s body in order to make them laugh:
The baby giggled as I tickled him.
grope to touch someone’s body in a sexual way when they do not want to be touched:
The officer was accused of groping several women in his platoon.
stroke to move your hand gently over something, especially in a loving way:
She stroked the child’s hair.
Our cat won’t let people stroke him.
pat to touch an animal or child lightly several times, with your hand flat:
He knelt down to pat the dog.
She patted the little boy’s head.
pet to touch and move your hand gently over someone, especially an animal or child:
The goats, pigs, sheep, and cows here allow you to pet them.
caress /kəˈres/ to gently touch a part of someone’s body in a loving way:
a mother caressing her child
She caressed his cheek.
fondle to touch a part of someone’s body in a loving or sexual way – use this especially about touching someone in a sexual way that is not wanted:
He tried to fondle her and she immediately pulled away from him.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

scratch
skrætʃ
See: from scratch , put one's money on a scratched horse , up to par or up to scratch

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲