scour
English
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scour¹
- /ˈskaʊə/ UK
- /ˈskaʊɚ/ Canada, US
- /skaʊɹ/ Canada, US
- /skæɔə/ Australia
- /ˈskæʊə/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -aʊə(ɹ), -aʊ.ə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English scǒuren (“to polish, scour; to clean; to beat, whip”), from Middle Dutch scuren, schuren (“to clean; to polish”) or Middle Low German schǖren, of uncertain origin but probably from Old French escurer, from Medieval Latin scūrō, escūrō, excūrō (“to clean off”), from ex- (“thoroughly”) + cūrō (“to arrange, see to, take care of”), from cūra (“care, concern”) (from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeys- (“to heed”)) + -ō.
The word is cognate with Danish skure, Middle High German schüren, schiuren (modern German scheuern (“to scour, scrub; to chafe”)), Norwegian skura (“to scrub”), Swedish skura, Catalan escurar.
verb scours · scouring · scoured · scower
- To clean, polish, or wash (something) by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously, frequently with an abrasive or cleaning agent. He scoured the burnt food from the pan.
- To remove debris and dirt (from something) by purging; to sweep along or off by a current of water. I will redeeme all this on Percies head, / And in the cloſing of ſome glorious day / Be bold to tell you that I am your ſonne, / When I will weare a garment all of bloud, / And ſtaine my fauors in a bloudy maske, / Which waſht away ſhall ſcoure my ſhame with it, […]
- To clear the digestive tract (of an animal) by administering medication that induces defecation or vomiting; to purge. to scour a horse
- To (cause livestock to) suffer from diarrhoea or dysentery. If a lamb is scouring, do not delay treatment.
- To cleanse (something) without rubbing. It is reported, that in ſome Lakes, the Water is ſo Nitrous, as if Foule Cloathes be put into it, it ſcoureth them of it ſelfe: And if they ſtay any whit long, they moulder away. And the Scouring Vertue of Nitre is the more to be noted, becauſe it is a Body Cold; And wee ſee Warme Water ſcoureth bet
noun scours · scower
- The removal of sediment caused by swiftly moving water. Bridge scour may scoop out scour holes and compromise the integrity of the structure.
- A place scoured out by running water, as in the bed of a stream below a waterfall. Fish as near the middle of the stream as you can in the spring months, and also on the shallows and scowers; but in the winter, in deep holes; let the bait drag two or three inches on the ground.
- A place where wool is washed to remove grease and impurities prior to processing. I am particularly interested in the wool processing indusries, which make a major contribution to the Hawke's Bay regional economy. There are five wool scours in the area, all of them located within the Hawke's Bay electorate. […] I am pleased to report that the prototype Drycom system was given its
- Diarrhoea, in livestock; scouring. The Cause and Nature of the Skit, or Scour, of Sheep and Lambs.
scour²
- /ˈskaʊə/ UK
- /ˈskaʊɚ/ Canada, US
- /skaʊɹ/ Canada, US
- /skæɔə/ Australia
- /ˈskæʊə/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -aʊə(ɹ), -aʊ.ə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English scǒuren, scure, skoure (“to move quickly; to travel around in search of enemies”), from scǒur (“attack, conflict; pang of emotional suffering”), from Old Norse skýra (“to rush in”) and skúr (“a shower; a shower of missiles”), perhaps influenced by the verb scǒuren: see etymology 1.
verb scours · scouring · scoured · scower
- To search an area thoroughly. They scoured the scene of the crime for clues.
- To run with speed; to scurry. Lord. Behind the tuft of Pines I met them, neuer Saw I men scowre so on their way: I eyed them Euen to their Ships.
- To move swiftly over; to brush along. When Ajax ſtrives, ſome Rock's vaſt Weight to throw, / The Line too labours, and the Words move ſlow; / Not ſo, when ſwift Camilla ſcours the plain, / Flies o'er th'unbending Corn, and skims along the Main.
Translations
Every language
verb to clean, polish, or wash something by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously
| Español | fregar, refregar, restregar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 磨ぐ migaku |
| 中文 | 擦洗 cāxǐ, 冲刷 chōngshuā, 淘洗 cāxǐ |
| हिन्दी | मांजना māñjnā |
| Français | récurer, verrer |
| Deutsch | scheuern, reinigen, putzen, abbürsten, abreiben, ausscheuern |
| Italiano | strofinare, lucidare, pulire, strigliare, ripulire, raschiare |
| Română | curăța |
| Русский | отска́бливать otskáblivatʹ, отскобли́ть otskoblítʹ, отчища́ть otčiščátʹ, отчи́стить otčístitʹ, отдра́ивать otdráivatʹ, отдра́ить otdráitʹ |
verb to remove debris and dirt by purging
| Deutsch | spülen, durchspülen, wegspülen, abspülen, ausspülen |
|---|
noun removal of sediment caused by swiftly moving water
| Deutsch | Auswaschen, Ausspülen, Erosion |
|---|---|
| Italiano | lavaggio, strofinata, ripulita |
noun place scoured out by running water
| Deutsch | Auswaschung, Erosionsfläche, Ausspülung, Kolk |
|---|
verb to search an area thoroughly
| Español | peinar, rastrillar, batir, rebuscar, esculcar, escurcar |
|---|---|
| Français | écumer, passer au peigne fin |
| Deutsch | absuchen, sondieren, abkämmen, durchkämmen, durchsuchen, durchforsten |
| Italiano | perlustrare, setacciare, rastrellare, battere |
| Русский | ры́скать rýskatʹ, прочёсывать pročósyvatʹ, прочеса́ть pročesátʹ |
verb to run with speed
| Italiano | fuggire, darsela a gambe, schizzare via |
|---|
verb to move swiftly over
| Italiano | spazzolare, strigliare |
|---|
Talk about this word "scour." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/scour. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. scour. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/scour "scour." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/scour.Cite this
@misc{scour_2026,
title = {scour},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/scour},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
