I. score 1 S2 W2 /skɔː $ skɔːr/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ score , outscore; noun : ↑ score , ↑ scorer ; adjective : ↑ scoreless ]
[ Date: 1000-1100 ; Language: Old Norse ; Origin: skor 'mark cut into a surface, count, twenty' ]
1 . IN A GAME the number of points that each team or player has won in a game or competition:
At half-time the score was one all.
What’s the score?
Is anybody keeping score (=making a record of the score) ?
The final score was Southampton two, Leeds United nil.
score of
a score of 3–2
2 . IN A TEST OR EXPERIMENT
a) the number of points a student has earned for correct answers in a test:
The school’s test scores have not improved.
score of
a score of 90%
b) the number of points that a person or group of people gets in a scientific test or ↑ experiment
score of
He had an IQ score of 120.
3 . MUSIC a written or printed copy of a piece of music, especially for a large group of performers, or the music itself:
a musical score
Who wrote the score for the movie?
4 . on that score spoken concerning the particular thing you have just mentioned:
As for the cost, you don’t need to worry on that score.
5 . know the score informal to know the real facts of a situation, including any unpleasant ones:
We are trying to attract managers who know the score.
6 . settle a score to do something to harm or hurt someone who has harmed or hurt you in the past:
Jack came back after five years to settle some old scores.
7 . MARK a mark that has been cut onto a surface with a sharp tool:
deep scores in the wood
II. score 2 S3 W2 BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ score , outscore; noun : ↑ score , ↑ scorer ; adjective : ↑ scoreless ]
1 . WIN POINTS [intransitive and transitive] to win a point in a sport, game, competition, or test:
Great cheers went up when he scored in the final minute of the game.
She scored an average of 9.9 in the test.
score a goal/point/run etc
He has scored 12 goals so far this season.
2 . GIVE POINTS [transitive] to give a particular number of points in a game, competition, test, or ↑ experiment SYN mark :
Each event will be scored separately.
Responses to the individual items are scored on a scale ranging from 0 to 12.
3 . score points
a) ( also score off somebody ) to say or do something in an attempt to prove that you are better or cleverer than someone else:
Too many MPs use debates as a chance to score political points.
score points over/off
Advertising may be used to score points off the competition.
b) informal to do or say something to please someone or to make them respect you
score points with
You’ll score points with your girlfriend if you send her roses.
4 . SUCCEED [intransitive and transitive] informal to be very successful in something you do:
Her new book has scored a spectacular success.
5 . HAVE SEX [intransitive] informal to have sex with someone, especially someone you have just met
6 . LINE [transitive] to mark a line on a piece of paper, wood etc using a sharp instrument:
Scoring the paper first makes it easier to fold.
7 . MUSIC [transitive usually passive] to arrange a piece of music for a group of instruments or voices
8 . GET DRUGS [intransitive and transitive] informal to manage to buy or get illegal drugs
score off somebody phrasal verb British English
to say or do something in an attempt to prove that you are better or cleverer than someone else:
He liked scoring off his pupils in his days as a teacher.
score something ↔ out/through phrasal verb
to draw a line through something that has been written
III. score 3 BrE AmE number
1 . ( plural score ) a group of 20, or about 20, people or things
a score of something
Our coach was escorted by a score of policemen.
three score years and ten old use (=70 years, a person’s expected length of life)
2 . scores of something a lot of people or things:
Scores of victims were killed.
3 . by the score in large numbers:
Friends came to help by the score.