n. & v.
n. 1 a person who writes out documents, esp. an ancient or medieval copyist of manuscripts. 2 Bibl. an ancient Jewish record-keeper or professional theologian and jurist. 3 (in full scribe-awl) a pointed instrument for making marks on wood, bricks, etc., to guide a saw, or in sign-writing. 4 US colloq. a writer, esp. a journalist.
v.tr. mark (wood etc.) with a scribe (see sense 3 of n.). scribal adj. scriber n.
[ (n.) ME f. L scriba f. scribere write: (v.) perh. f. DESCRIBE ]