/ skreɪp; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
REMOVE
1.
to remove sth from a surface by moving sth sharp and hard like a knife across it :
[ vn , usually + adv. / prep. ]
She scraped the mud off her boots.
[ vn - adj ]
The kids had scraped their plates clean.
DAMAGE
2.
[ vn , usually + adv. / prep. ] to rub sth by accident so that it gets damaged or hurt :
I scraped the side of my car on the wall.
Sorry, I've scraped some paint off the car.
She fell and scraped her knee.
The wire had scraped the skin from her fingers.
MAKE SOUND
3.
[usually + adv. / prep. ] to make an unpleasant noise by rubbing against a hard surface; to make sth do this :
[ v ]
I could hear his pen scraping across the paper.
We could hear her scraping away at the violin.
[ vn ]
Don't scrape your chairs on the floor.
WIN WITH DIFFICULTY
4.
to manage to win or to get sth with difficulty :
[ vn ]
The team scraped a narrow victory last year.
( BrE )
I just scraped a pass in the exam.
They scraped a living by playing music on the streets.
[ v ]
The government scraped home (= just won) by three votes.
MAKE HOLE IN GROUND
5.
[ vn ] scrape sth (out) to make a hole or hollow place in the ground :
He found a suitable place, scraped a hole and buried the bag in it.
PULL HAIR BACK
6.
[ vn ] scrape your hair back to pull your hair tightly back, away from your face :
Her hair was scraped back from her face in a ponytail.
•
IDIOMS
- scrape (the bottom of) the barrel
—more at bow (I) verb
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- scrape by (on sth)
- scrape in | scrape into sth
- scrape sth out
- scrape through | scrape through sth
- scrape sth together / up
■ noun
ACTION / SOUND
1.
[ sing. ] the action or unpleasant sound of one thing rubbing roughly against another :
the scrape of iron on stone
DAMAGE
2.
[ C ] an injury or a mark caused by rubbing against sth rough :
She emerged from the overturned car with only a few scrapes and bruises.
DIFFICULT SITUATION
3.
[ C ] ( old-fashioned ) a difficult situation that you have caused yourself :
He was always getting into scrapes as a boy.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English scrapian scratch with the fingernails , of Germanic origin, reinforced in Middle English by Old Norse skrapa or Middle Dutch schrapen to scratch.