Meaning

4 senses

  1. (not comparable)For or consisting of preliminary or tentative, incomplete, etc. work.

    This is scratch paper, so go ahead and scribble whatever you want on it.

  2. (not comparable)Hastily assembled, arranged or constructed, from whatever materials are to hand, with little or no preparation

  3. (not comparable)Relating to a scratchpad, a data structure or recording medium attached to a machine for testing or temporary use.

    scratch memory

  4. (not comparable)(of a player) Of a standard high enough to play without a handicap, i.e. to compete without the benefit of a variation in scoring based on ability.

Examples

615 sentences

  1. I was scratched by a cat.

    Мене подряпав кіт. — aandrusiak

    ruЯ был поцарапан кошкой. — Lenin_1917

    deIch wurde von einer Katze gekratzt. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. Tom has a scratch on his forehead.

    У Тома на чолі царапина. — deniko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. I can hear a cat scratching at the window.

    Я чую, як кіт дряпається у вікно. — deniko

    ruМне слышно, как кошка скребётся в окно. — marafon

    deIch höre eine Katze, die an das Fenster kratzt. — Esperantostern

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Bears like to scratch their backs on tree bark.

    Ведмедям подобається чесати свою спину о кору дерев. — artemlyubchenko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. Most dogs like it when you scratch them behind the ears.

    Більшості собак подобається, коли ти чешеш їх за вухами. — Ahha

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Origin

From Middle English scracchen, of uncertain origin. Potentially a blend of Middle English

From Middle English scracchen, of uncertain origin. Potentially a blend of Middle English scratten (“to scratch”) and cracchen (“to scratch”). More at scrat and cratch.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Word family

3 related words
Derivedscratch paperscratch sheetscratch tape

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
scrapescraperscrapingscratchyscrawlscrawny

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

scratch — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto