Definition of scratch - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
damagedisruption or mark on a surface
- The table had a scratch on its surface.
2.
medicalminor injury or abrasion
- She had a scratch on her knee.
3.
reliefact of scratching to relieve itch
- He gave his arm a quick scratch.
4.
soundharsh noise made by scraping
- The scratch of the chalk was annoying.
5.
billiardsTECH. US foul in pool when the cue ball is pocketedTECH. US
- He lost the game due to a scratch.
6.
- He was out of scratch by the weekend.
Verb
1.
itch relieftr. rub skin with nails to relieve itchingtr.
- She scratched her arm to stop the itch.
2.
markingtr. mark a surface with a sharp objecttr.
- He accidentally scratched the table with his keys.
3.
text removaltr. UK remove text by crossing outtr. UK
- She scratched out the wrong answer.
4.
hasty writingtr. write or draw hastilytr.
- He scratched a quick note on the paper.
5.
soundtr. cause a grating soundtr.
- The chair scratched against the floor.
6.
resource gatheringtr./intr. gather resources with difficultytr./intr.
- They scratched together enough money for rent.
7.
sports withdrawalintr. TECH. withdraw from a competitionintr. TECH.
- He decided to scratch from the race last minute.
8.
musicintr. TECH. produce sound on a turntableintr. TECH.
- The DJ scratched the record during the performance.
Adjective
1.
hastily madeassembled quickly with available materials
- The scratch team was formed just before the match.
2.
sportsTECH. competing without a handicap in sportsTECH.
- He is a scratch golfer, playing without any handicap.
3.
technologyTECH. relating to temporary data storageTECH.
- The program uses a scratch disk for temporary files.
Images of scratch

disruption or mark on a surface
Expressions with scratch
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using basic materials or raw ingredients
He baked the cake from scratch.
remove by scraping or rubbing
She scratched off the paint to reveal the wood.
remove or eliminate by scratching or scraping
She decided to scratch out the old address on the envelope..
illegible handwriting
His notes were all in chicken scratch, impossible to read..
small mark or blemish on an object
The car is fine, it's just a scratch.
create something without using pre-made parts
She decided to make the cake from scratch.
minor injury or damage not serious
It's only a scratch, don't worry about it.
move fingers on the scalp
He began to scratch his head absentmindedly.
without any damage or injury
The car survived the accident without a scratch.
prepare food using basic ingredients
She loves to cook from scratch using fresh vegetables.
make something new without using anything existing
She decided to create the website from scratch.
the act of making something new without any prior materials
The artist's creation from scratch impressed everyone at the gallery.
relieve a physical itch by scratching
He used a stick to scratch an itch on his back.
begin again without using anything done before
After the failure, they decided to start from scratch.
made entirely by hand or from basic materials
The cake was crafted from scratch using fresh ingredients.
strong desire to do something
He had an itch to scratch and decided to start his own business.
earn barely enough money to live
Many artists scratch a living from their work.
to continue with difficulty or little success
They managed to scratch along despite the challenges.
look deeper into a subject or problem
To understand the issue, you need to scratch below the surface.
look for deeper meaning or hidden details
Let's scratch beneath the surface to find the truth.
manage to survive with minimal resources
They had to scratch by on a single income.
solve a personal problem by oneself
He started the project to scratch his own itch.
earn just enough money to survive
They scratch out a living by selling handmade crafts.
do a favor expecting one in return
I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine.
Origin of scratch
Old Norse, skrapa (to scratch)
Terms with scratch included in their meaning
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skin feeling
feel an urge to scratch
medical
feeling a need to scratch the skin
furniture
structure for cats to play and scratch
action
scratch or tear with claws or nails
movement
scratch or tear something with claws or fingernails
skin
scratch or rub to relieve an itch
physical sensation
feel a need to scratch the skin
more uncomfortable
having a stronger sensation of needing to scratch
skin sensation
unpleasant skin feeling causing a need to scratch
scraping
scrape or scratch a surface
search clumsily
scratch or grope around with one's fingers to find or hold something
action
scratch or scrape with hands or claws
projects
pertaining to projects starting from scratch, without constraints from prior work
animal
using paws to touch or scratch
budgeting
starting from scratch without previous assumptions
animal attack
scratch or mark made by claws or fingernails
sports
scratch hit in baseball
body modification
scratch or cut designs into skin
film
scratch on a film extending through frames
nature
scratch or snag fabric or skin like a thorny vine
agriculture
brush for cattle to scratch and groom
physical fight
fight and scratch with hands and nails
surface scratch
single unauthorized text or image on walls, often informal
medical
having a sensation that causes a desire to scratch
Examples of scratch in a sentence
He noticed a scratch on the phone screen. The scratch on his arm was barely noticeable. He got a scratch from the thorny bush. A scratch on his back provided instant relief. She felt better after a gentle scratch. The scratch of the branches was eerie in the night.
She winced at the scratch of the metal against glass. A scratch cost him the championship. Avoiding a scratch is crucial in pool. He needed some scratch to pay the bills. They saved up enough scratch for a vacation. He scratched his head in confusion. The cat scratched the post to sharpen its claws. She scratched her name into the wooden bench. The cat scratched the surface of the new sofa. He scratched the cancelled date from the calendar. Please scratch out the duplicate sentence before printing. She scratched her thoughts in the diary hastily. The student scratched a diagram on the board. The pen scratched across the paper loudly. The cat scratched at the door, wanting to come in. He scratched for supplies in the abandoned house. They scratched around for food during the harsh winter. The injured runner had to scratch from the marathon. She scratched from the tournament after falling ill. He learned to scratch like a pro DJ. Scratching added a unique flair to the track. They put together a scratch orchestra for the event. The scratch committee managed to organize the festival. She joined the scratch team for the tournament. The scratch player won the championship without any advantage. Engineers used a scratch space for data processing. The software required a scratch area for operations.
View all translations of scratch
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:rayure, gratter, ...
- German:Kratzer, kratzen, ...
- Italian:graffio, grattare, ...
- Spanish:arañazo, rascar, ...
- Portuguese:arranhão, coçar, ...
- Chinese:划痕, 抓, ...
- Japanese:傷, かく, ...
- Arabic:خَدْش, حَكَّ, ...
- Hebrew:שְׂרִיטָה, לְגַרֵד, ...
- Russian:царапина, чесать, ...
- Ukrainian:подряпина, чесати, ...
- Hindi:खरोंच, रगड़ना, ...

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