<B>scrummage, </B>noun, verb, <B>-maged,</B> <B>-maging.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a formation in Rugby used to begin play again after it has been stopped, in which the ball is thrown between two lines of no more than three players each, each of whom tries to kick the ball to other players lined up in back of him. <BR> <I>Ex. The early play was mainly a hard slog of scrummage, lineout, and maul (London Times).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=scrimmage.</B> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to take part in a scrummage or scrimmage. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to begin play by rolling (the ball) in a scrummage. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=scrimmage.</B> noun <B>scrummager.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="scrumptious">
<B>scrumptious, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) elegant; splendid; first-rate. <BR> <I>Ex. Probably the lumberyard isn't as scrumptious as all these Greek temples (Sinclair Lewis).</I> adv. <B>scrumptiously.</B> noun <B>scrumptiousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="scrunch">
<B>scrunch, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to crunch; crush; crumple; squeeze. <BR> <I>Ex. Every part of it ... may be profitably scrunched between molars (New Yorker). Don't scrunch up like that, Huckleberry--set up straight (Mark Twain).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the noise made by scrunching. <DD><B> 2. </B>an act of scrunching. </DL>
<A NAME="scruple">
<B>scruple, </B>noun, verb, <B>-pled,</B> <B>-pling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>a feeling of doubt about what one ought to do; hesitation to do something. <BR> <I>Ex. No scruple of caution ever holds him back from prompt action.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a feeling of uneasiness that keeps a person from doing something; uneasiness affecting the conscience. <BR> <I>Ex. He has scruples about playing cards for money.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a measure of apothecaries' weight equal to 20 grains of 1.296 grams. Three scruples make 1 dram. <DD><B> 3a. </B>an ancient Roman weight equal to ounce. <DD><B> b. </B>an ancient Roman coin. Its weight in gold determined its value. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) a very small amount. <BR> <I>Ex. ... the smallest scruple of her excellence (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to hesitate or be unwilling (to do something). <BR> <I>Ex. A dishonest man does not scruple to deceive others. As a Parliamentarian he has never scrupled to use any weapon which comes to hand (Harper's).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to have scruples. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to have or make scruples about. <BR><I>expr. <B>make scruple,</B> </I>to hesitate or be reluctant, especially because of conscientiousness. <BR> <I>Ex. She made no scruple of oversetting all human institutions (Hawthorne).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="scrupulosity">
<B>scrupulosity, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the fact or condition of being scrupulous; strict regard for what is right; scrupulous care. <BR> <I>Ex. Albert, with characteristic scrupulosity, attempted to thread his way through the complicated labyrinth of European diplomacy (Lytton Strachey).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an instance of this. </DL>
<A NAME="scrupulous">
<B>scrupulous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>very careful to do what is right. <BR> <I>Ex. a scrupulous man, scrupulous honesty.</I> (SYN) conscientious. <DD><B> 2. </B>attending thoroughly to details; very careful. <BR> <I>Ex. A soldier must pay scrupulous attention to orders.</I> adv. <B>scrupulously.</B> noun <B>scrupulousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="scrutable">
<B>scrutable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be penetrated or understood by investigation. </DL>
<A NAME="scrutator">
<B>scrutator, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) a person who examines or investigates, especially a scrutineer. </DL>
<A NAME="scrutineer">
<B>scrutineer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) a person who inspects and counts election ballots. </DL>
<B>scrutinize, </B>transitive verb, <B>-nized,</B> <B>-nizing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to examine closely; inspect carefully. <BR> <I>Ex. The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. But never before have so many citizens been scrutinized with suspicion (Scientific American).</I> noun <B>scrutinizer.</B> adv. <B>scrutinizingly.</B> </DL>
<B>scrutiny, </B>noun, pl. <B>-nies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a close examination; careful inspection. <BR> <I>Ex. His work looks all right, but it will not bear scrutiny.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a looking searchingly at something or someone; searching gaze. <BR> <I>Ex. I observed him throwing a glance of scrutiny over all the passengers (Charlotte Bronte).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>an official examination of the votes cast at an election. <DD><B> 4. </B>a ballot cast by a cardinal during the election of a new pope. <BR> <I>Ex. If a pope is elected, the scrutinies are burned alone, and the waiting crowd sees white smoke (Fulton J. Sheen).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="scruto">
<B>scruto, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Theater.) a trap door or doorway which springs into place after being used for quick appearances and disappearances. </DL>
<A NAME="scrutoire">
<B>scrutoire, </B>noun. <B>=escritoire.</B></DL>
<A NAME="scry">
<B>scry, </B>verb, <B>scried,</B> <B>scrying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> to see images revealing remote future events by looking into a crystal or the like; descry. <DD><I>v.t. </I> (British Dialect.) to descry; see; perceive. noun <B>scryer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="scs">
<B>SCS</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> Soil Conservation Service. </DL>
<B>scuba, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> the portable breathing equipment, including one or more tanks of compressed air, used by underwater swimmers and divers. <BR> <I>Ex. Skindivers who use scuba favor contact [lenses] because spectacles ... are cumbersome inside a watertight face mask (Time).</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> having to do with, comprising, or using underwater breathing equipment. <BR> <I>Ex. scuba diving, scuba gear, a scuba diver.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="scud">
<B>scud</B> (1), verb, <B>scudded,</B> <B>scudding,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to run or move swiftly. <BR> <I>Ex. Clouds scudded across the sky driven by high winds. [His] turbojet speedboat, Bluebird, has scudded through a series of trial runs (Newsweek).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Nautical.) to run before a storm with little or no sail set. <BR> <I>Ex. We were scudding before a heavy gale, under bare poles (Frederick Marryat).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the act of scudding. <DD><B> 2. </B>clouds or spray driven by the wind, as in a storm at sea. <BR> <I>Ex. At 500 feet [altitude] you break out under the dark scud, into a rainy but fairly clear area (Atlantic).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Dialect.) <DD><B> a. </B>a brief, driving shower of rain or fall of snow. <DD><B> b. </B>a sudden gust of wind. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Scottish.) a slap. </DL>
<A NAME="scud">
<B>scud</B> (2), verb, <B>scudded,</B> <B>scudding,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to scrape (hide) to remove dirt, bits of flesh, and hair roots. <DD><I>noun </I> the dirt and other matter removed by scudding. </DL>
<A NAME="scudder">
<B>scudder, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person or thing that scuds. </DL>
<A NAME="scudella">
<B>scudella, </B>noun. <B>=scodella.</B></DL>
<A NAME="scudo">
<B>scudo, </B>noun, pl. <B>-di.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a former Italian silver coin and money of account, worth about a dollar. <DD><B> 2. </B>a former gold coin of the same value. </DL>
<A NAME="scuff">
<B>scuff</B> (1), verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> to walk without lifting the feet; shuffle. <BR> <I>Ex. to scuff through sand, to scuff into a room.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to wear or injure the surface of by hard use. <BR> <I>Ex. to scuff one's shoes.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>the act of scuffing. <DD><B> b. </B>the noise made by scuffing. <DD><B> 2. </B>a slipper with only a sole and toe piece. <BR> <I>Ex. Travel scuffs of the softest glove leather ... (New Yorker).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a scar made by scuffing. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Scottish.) a glancing blow. </DL>
<A NAME="scuff">
<B>scuff</B> (2), noun. <B>=scruff.</B></DL>
<A NAME="scuffle">
<B>scuffle, </B>verb, <B>-fled,</B> <B>-fling,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to struggle or fight in a rough, confused manner. <BR> <I>Ex. The two boys fell as they scuffled. Somewhere in the darkness two rats scuffled (Graham Greene).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to go or move in hurried confusion. <BR> <I>Ex. Drive the populace headlong past it as fast as they can scuffle (John Ruskin).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=shuffle.</B> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to stir the surface of (land), hoe (a crop), or cut up (weeds) by means of a scuffle hoe. <BR> <I>Ex. This land was ploughed deep and ... harrowed and scuffled till there was tilth enough for planting (London Times).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a confused, rough struggle or fight. <BR> <I>Ex. The boy lost his hat in the scuffle. The mob followed ... a scuffle ensued (Cardinal Newman).</I> (SYN) tussle, scrimmage. <DD><B> 2. </B>the act of shuffling. <BR> <I>Ex. They could hear a scuffle of feet (George J. Whyte-Melville).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=scuffle hoe.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="scufflehoe">
<B>scuffle hoe,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a hoe which is pushed instead of pulled. </DL>
<A NAME="scuffler">
<B>scuffler, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person or thing that scuffles. </DL>
