SCAB


Meaning of SCAB in English

/ skæb; NAmE / noun

1.

[ C ] a hard dry covering that forms over a wound as it heals

2.

[ U ] a skin disease of animals

3.

[ U ] a disease of plants, especially apples and potatoes, that causes a rough surface

4.

[ C ] ( informal , disapproving ) a worker who refuses to join a strike or takes the place of sb on strike

SYN blackleg

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WORD ORIGIN

Middle English (as a noun): from Old Norse skabb ; related to dialect shab (compare with shabby ). The sense contemptible person (dating from the late 16th cent.) was probably influenced by Middle Dutch schabbe slut.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.