scramble

I UK [ˈskræmb(ə)l] / US verb
Word forms "scramble":
present tense I/you/we/they scramble he/she/it scrambles present participle scrambling past tense scrambled past participle scrambled
*

1)

a) [intransitive] to climb somewhere using your feet and hands

scramble over/up/down/out of etc:

She managed to scramble over the wall.

b) to move somewhere quickly and in a way that is not graceful

They stopped the car and quickly scrambled out.

scramble to your feet:

He scrambled awkwardly to his feet.

2) [intransitive] to hurry or try very hard to get something, often competing with other people

scramble for:

Companies are scrambling to recruit skilled workers.

scramble to do something:

Tensions are rising as diplomats scramble to prevent a war.

3) [transitive] to mix together the white and yellow parts of an egg and cook it

4) [transitive] to change the form of a radio message so that only someone with special equipment can understand it

5) [intransitive] if pilots scramble, they hurry to their planes and take off quickly so that they can attack an enemy

•

- scramble home

Derived word:
scrambled
adjective
II UK [ˈskræmb(ə)l] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "scramble":
singular scramble plural scrambles

1) a difficult climb in which you use your feet and hands

a scramble through mountainous terrain

2) a situation in which people all compete for the same thing

scramble for:

a scramble each morning for the bathroom

a scramble to do something:

They're destroying valuable land in their scramble to make money.

3) a situation in which you have to hurry to do something

a mad scramble:

The next two hours were a mad scramble to get to the airport.

4) a motorcycle race over rough ground