v.
Pronunciation: ' sk ə m-b ə l
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form: scum · bled ; scum · bling \ -b( ə -)li ŋ \
Etymology: perhaps frequentative of 2 scum
Date: 1798
1 a : to make (as color or a painting) less brilliant by covering with a thin coat of opaque or semiopaque color applied with a nearly dry brush b : to apply (a color) in this manner
2 : to soften the lines or colors of (a drawing) by rubbing lightly