n. & v.
--n.
1. a dry rough crust formed over a cut, sore, etc. in healing.
2 (often attrib.) colloq. derog. a person who refuses to strike or join a trade union, or who tries to break a strike by working; a blackleg.
3 the mange or a similar skin disease esp. in animals.
4 a fungous plant-disease causing scablike roughness.
5 a dislikeable person.
--v.intr. (scabbed, scabbing)
1. act as a scab.
2 (of a wound etc.) form a scab; heal over.
Derivatives:
scabbed adj. scabby adj. (scabbier, scabbiest). scabbiness n. scablike adj.
Etymology: ME f. ON skabbr (unrecorded), corresp. to OE sceabb