scratch

I UK [skrætʃ] / US verb
Word forms "scratch":
present tense I/you/we/they scratch he/she/it scratches present participle scratching past tense scratched past participle scratched
*

1) [intransitive/transitive] to pull your nails along your skin, especially because you have an itch that makes you want to do this

Stop scratching!

Scratch my back for me, will you.

2)

a) [transitive] to cut someone's skin slightly with something sharp

Don't worry: the cat won't scratch you.

The tree's branches had scratched his hands and they were bleeding.

b) to damage a surface by marking it with something sharp or rough

Someone's scratched my car door.

3)

a) [intransitive/transitive] to move something sharp against a hard surface and make a noise

scratch at:

I could hear the dog scratching at the back door.

b) [intransitive] to produce new sounds by moving a record backwards and forwards quickly with your hand while the stylus is resting on the record

4)

a) [transitive] to remove something, for example a word from a sentence or something from a list

b) to remove someone from a race before it begins

5) [transitive] informal to decide not to continue with something such as a plan or a project

6) [transitive] informal to write something very quickly and carelessly

•

you scratch my back (and I'll scratch yours) — used for saying that two people each do something to help the other

- scratch someone's eyes out

- scratch your head

- scratch a living

- scratch the surface

Phrasal verbs:

- scratch around for

- scratch out

Derived word:
scratched
adjective

a badly scratched CD

II UK [skrætʃ] / US noun
Word forms "scratch":
singular scratch plural scratches
*

1) [countable] a cut on the surface of your skin

Don't worry. It's just a scratch.

a) [countable] a thin mark on a surface

There were some nasty scratches on the paintwork.

b) [singular] used for emphasizing that someone is not hurt at all or that something is not damaged at all

Fortunately I walked away from the accident without a scratch.

a used car that doesn't have a scratch on it

2) [countable, usually singular] the action of pulling your nails along your skin

have a scratch:

The dog was having a good scratch against the furniture.

3) [countable] a sound made by moving something sharp or rough against a hard surface

We heard the scratch of a cat's claws against a tree.

•

- from scratch

- up to scratch

III UK [skrætʃ] / US adjective

1) a scratch team or game is one that is organized quickly using any players who are available

2) a scratch player is one who does not have a handicap