noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
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
Pronunciation
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.
General-American, Received-Pronunciation:/skɹʌf/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian, New-Zealand:/skɹɐf/
Northern-England:/skɹʊf/
rhymes with -ʌf
1
noun
Meaning 1
Someone with an untidy appearance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
That candidate will never get the job: he's a right scruff.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Stubble, facial hair (on males).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Crust.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Scurf.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
The back of the neck, nape; also scruff of the neck.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
Examples
He grabbed his unruly child by the scruff of the neck, and took him home.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To lift or carry by the scruff.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
the back side of the neck
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: nape, nucha
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: rear, backside, back end
History
Etymology
See scurf.
1790, from earlier (1787) scuft and dialect scuff, influenced by scruff (“crust”). Related to North Frisian skuft (“back of the neck of a horse”) and Dutch schoft (“withers (of a horse)”), from Proto-Germanic. Compare also Old Norse skopt (“hair of the head”), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐍆𐍄 (skuft, “hair of the head”), Middle High German schopf (German Schopf).
Across languages
Translations
41 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
мърльо
(mǎrljo)
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Czech:
špindíra
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Czech:
vagabund
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Czech:
šupák
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Finnish:
törkimys
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Finnish:
epäsiisti henkilö
— Someone with an untidy appearance
German:
Schmutzfink
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Polish:
brudas
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Polish:
niedomytek
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Polish:
kocmołuch
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Polish:
fleja
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Polish:
flejtuch
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Polish:
prosię
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Polish:
świntuch
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Polish:
szuszwol
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Polish:
niechluj
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Spanish:
zarrapastroso
— Someone with an untidy appearance
Bashkir:
елкә
(yelkə)
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Czech:
zátylek
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Finnish:
niskanahka
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Galician:
pescozo
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Icelandic:
hnakkadramb
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Norwegian Bokmål:
nakkeskinn
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Norwegian Nynorsk:
nakkeskinn
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Polish:
luźna skóra na karku
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Portuguese:
cangote
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Russian:
загри́вок
(zagrívok)
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Spanish:
pescuezo
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
Swedish:
nackskinnet
— loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals
