ˈskabrəs sometimes ˈskāb- adjective
Etymology: Latin scabr-, scaber rough, scurfy + English -ous; akin to Latin scabies roughness, mange, scabere to scratch, scrape — more at shave
1. obsolete : harsh , unmusical
2. : difficult , knotty
a scabrous problem
3. : rough to the touch : having small raised dots, scales, or points : scaly , prickly , scurfy , scabby
a scabrous leaf
cold sand scabrous with cockles — J.M.Brinnin
patches of darker plaster, of scabrous paint — Edith C. Rivett
4. : unpleasant, repulsive, or reprehensible in some way: as
a. : dealing with or characterized by suggestive, indecent, or scandalous themes : risqué , salacious
scandal sheets did their best to improve on a sufficiently scabrous text — Simeon Strunsky
burly, arrogant, swashbuckling toper and scabrous gossip — Douglas Bush
belongs to a scabrous genre of writing — Georges Duthuit
witty, malicious, often scabrous character studies — Peter Forster
b. : inclined to or indicative of licentious or corrupt habits : of depraved manners
a scabrous resort crowd
soberest note in this scabrous , boomtown atmosphere — Davenport Steward
c. : encrusted or blotched with dirt or other foreign matter : frowzy , grimy , squalid
shell of the house is scabrous with lichen and mildew — James Reynolds
Synonyms: see rough