SCOUR

v. & n. --v.tr. 1 a cleanse or brighten by rubbing, esp. with soap, chemicals, sand, etc. b (usu. foll. by away, off, etc.) clear (rust, stains, reputation, etc.) by rubbing, hard work, etc. (scoured the slur from his name). 2 (of water, or a person with water) clear out (a pipe, channel, etc.) by flushing through. 3 hist. purge (the bowels) drastically. --n. 1 the act or an instance of scouring; the state of being scoured, esp. by a swift water current (the scour of the tide). 2 diarrhoea in cattle. 3 a substance used for scouring. øscouring-rush any of various horsetail plants with a rough siliceous coating used for polishing wood etc. øøscourer n. [ME f. MDu., MLG schuren f. F escurer f. LL excurare clean (off) (as EX-(1), CURE)]