Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
name
A board game in which players draw letter tiles and take turns to make interlocking words like a crossword, scoring points according to the letters played and their positions on the board.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A scramble.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To scrape or scratch powerfully with hands or claws.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To gather hastily.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: scramble
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To move with difficulty by making rapid movements back and forth with the hands or paws.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To scribble.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To mark with irregular lines or letters; to scribble on.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a board game in which words are formed from letters in patterns similar to a crossword puzzle; each letter has a value and those values are used to score the game
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: word game, board game
noun
an aimless drawing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: scribble, doodle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: drawing
verb
write down quickly without much attention to detail
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: scribble
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: write
verb
feel searchingly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: grope for
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: feel
History
A brand name, from the verb scrabble, James Brunot's rebranding (1948) of Alfred Butts's game Criss-Crosswords (1938).
From Middle Dutch schrabbelen, frequentative of schrabben (“to scrape”), equivalent to scrab + -le. More at scrape.
Across languages
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
