v. & n.
v. 1 intr. make one's way over rough ground, rocks, etc., by clambering, crawling, etc. 2 intr. (foll. by for, at) struggle with competitors (for a thing or share of it). 3 intr. move with difficulty, hastily, or anxiously. 4 tr. a mix together indiscriminately. b jumble or muddle. 5 tr. cook (eggs) by heating them when broken and well mixed with butter, milk, etc. 6 tr. change the speech frequency of (a broadcast transmission or telephone conversation) so as to make it unintelligible without a corresponding decoding device. 7 intr. move hastily. 8 tr. colloq. execute (an action etc.) awkwardly and inefficiently. 9 intr. (of fighter aircraft or their pilots) take off quickly in an emergency or for action.
n. 1 an act of scrambling. 2 a difficult climb or walk. 3 (foll. by for) an eager struggle or competition. 4 Brit. a motor-cycle race over rough ground. 5 an emergency take-off by fighter aircraft. scrambled egg colloq. gold braid on a military officer's cap.
[ 16th c. (imit.): cf. dial. synonyms scamble, cramble ]