Basic+ Word of the Day: scratch

scratch (verb, noun) past tense: scratched LISTEN

They scratched their initials into the bench.

Scratch means ‘to scrape with the fingernails to relieve itching.’

  • William scratched my back because I couldn't reach the area that itched.

Scratch also means ‘to draw on a rough, grating surface.’

  • The lovers scratched their initials on the tree.

Scratch also means ‘to remove with a scraping action.’

  • Someone scratched the paint off my car door while I was parked.

A scratch is a mark made by scratching.

  • After the dog attack, Lydia had scratches on her legs.
  • There were scratches on the record so we couldn't hear the song very well.

Common uses

from scratch: from the beginning; starting from nothing. Example: “Did you buy the pizza or did you make it from scratch?”

Did you know?

You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours is an expression that means that if you do me a favor, I’ll do you a favor.

In pop culture

Most people buy bread, meat, cheese and vegetables to make a sandwich. But other people don’t… This video shows you how to make a sandwich from scratch in six months for $1500.

There are other meanings of scrcatch.

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