n. & v.
n. 1 a dry rough crust formed over a cut, sore, etc. in healing. 2 (often attrib.) colloq. derog. a person who refuses to strike or join a trade union, or who tries to break a strike by working; a blackleg. 3 the mange or a similar skin disease esp. in animals. 4 a fungous plant-disease causing scablike roughness. 5 a dislikeable person.
v.intr. (scabbed, scabbing) 1 act as a scab. 2 (of a wound etc.) form a scab; heal over. scabbed adj. scabby adj. (scabbier, scabbiest). scabbiness n. scablike adj.
[ ME f. ON skabbr (unrecorded), corresp. to OE sceabb ]