/ ɪtʃ; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ v ] to have an uncomfortable feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch; to make your skin feel like this :
I itch all over.
Does the rash itch?
This sweater really itches.
2.
itch for sth / to do sth ( informal ) (often used in the progressive tenses) to want to do sth very much :
[ v ]
The crowd was itching for a fight.
[ v to inf ]
He's itching to get back to work.
■ noun
1.
[ C , usually sing. ] an uncomfortable feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch yourself :
to get / have an itch
2.
[ sing. ] itch (to do sth) ( informal ) a strong desire to do sth :
She has an itch to travel.
the creative itch
•
IDIOMS
see seven
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English gycce (noun), gyccan (verb), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch jeuk (noun) and Dutch jeuken , German jucken (verb).