/skuch/ , v.t.
1. to dress (flax) by beating.
2. to dress (brick or stone); scotch.
n.
3. Also called scutcher . a device for scutching flax fiber.
4. Also, scotch . a small picklike tool with two cutting edges for trimming brick.
[ 1680-90; escoucher (F écoucher ) to beat flax excuticare, for L excutere ( ex- EX- 1 + -cutere, comb. form of quatere to shatter; cf. QUASH) ]