/ skæb; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C ] a hard dry covering that forms over a wound as it heals
2.
[ U ] a skin disease of animals
3.
[ U ] a disease of plants, especially apples and potatoes, that causes a rough surface
4.
[ C ] ( informal , disapproving ) a worker who refuses to join a strike or takes the place of sb on strike
SYN blackleg
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (as a noun): from Old Norse skabb ; related to dialect shab (compare with shabby ). The sense contemptible person (dating from the late 16th cent.) was probably influenced by Middle Dutch schabbe slut.