Scratch | Mean of scratch in English Dictionary

/ˈskrætʃ/

• Verb
• to rub your skin with something sharp (such as your fingernails) especially in order to stop an itch
1. Will you scratch my back for me?
2. Scratching the itch only makes it worse.
3. The dog scratched its ear.
4. Maybe it's time to scratch the/that itch to travel I've had since I was a kid. [=maybe it's time to satisfy the urge I've had to travel]
5. You shouldn't scratch. It'll just make your itch worse.
• to make a shallow and narrow cut in (your skin) with something sharp (such as fingernails, claws, etc.)
1. The cat scratched me.
2. Thorns scratched our legs as we climbed through the briars.
3. Careful, the cat will scratch.
• to rub a surface or object with something sharp or rough in a way that produces a harsh sound
1. The dog was scratching at the door.

• to make a line or mark in the surface of (something) by rubbing or cutting it with something rough or sharp
1. Be careful not to scratch the table.
2. Someone scratched the paint on my car.
• to make (something, such as a line or letters) in the surface of something by using a stick, a sharp tool, etc.
1. The little boy scratched lines in the dirt with a stick.
2. They scratched their initials in the old bridge.
• to write (something) in a quick and untidy way
1. She scratched a note to herself on a napkin.
• to decide not to do or continue with (something)
1. We had to scratch our picnic plans because of the weather.
2. We should go to the movies tonight. No, scratch [=forget] that. Let's rent a DVD instead.
• to remove (someone) from the list of players who will be playing in a game
1. She was scratched from the starting lineup.
• to earn barely enough money to live
1. He scratched out a living as a farmer.
• to remove (something) from an object or surface by rubbing with a sharp edge or tool
1. Scratch off the gray box on the ticket to see if you've won!
2. She scratched the gum off her shoe with a stick.
• to draw a line through (something that is written down)
1. He scratched his name off the list.
• to do something that helps someone else but that is often wrong or difficult to do
1. You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours. [=if you do something to help me, I'll do something to help you]
• to deal with or learn about only a small part of something
1. If you think she only did it for the money, you haven't even scratched the surface. [=there are many other factors, reasons, etc., involved]
2. There's so much to learn about this subject. I feel like I've only scratched the surface.
• to be confused about something
1. His odd behavior left us all scratching our heads. [=we could not understand his odd behavior]
• Noun
• a line or mark in the surface of something that is caused by something rough or sharp rubbing against it
1. There's a scratch in the paint on the new car!
2. The table is an antique but it doesn't have any dents or scratches.
• a shallow and narrow cut in the skin that is caused by something sharp
1. I got a scratch on my leg when I climbed the fence.
2. He escaped the fire without a scratch. [=without getting hurt; without any injuries]
• the sound made when something sharp rubs against a surface or object
1. The only sound in the room during the test was the scratch of pencils on paper.
• with ingredients you have prepared yourself rather than with a prepared mixture of ingredients bought from a store
1. bread/cookies made from scratch
2. I used a frozen pie crust rather than making one from scratch.
• from a point at which nothing has been done yet
1. We will have to start the project from scratch.
2. He built the company from scratch.
• good enough
1. Her performance wasn't up to scratch. [=(US) up to snuff]
• having no handicap
1. a scratch golfer [=an excellent golfer whose score is usually close to par]
• put together quickly and without enough planning or thought
1. a scratch team