Adjacent Words

Scurf definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SCURF, n. [L. scorbutus.]
1. A dry military scab or crust formed on the skin of an animal.
2. The soil or foul remains of any thing adherent; as the scurf of crimes. [Not common nor elegant.] Dryden.
3. Any thing adhering to the surface.
There stood a hill, whose grisly top Shone with a glossy scurf. Milton.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: (botany) a covering that resembles scales or bran that covers some plant parts
2: a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin [syn: scale, scurf, exfoliation]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Icelandic skurfa scurf; akin to Old High German scorf scurf, Old English sceorfan to scarify Date: before 12th century 1. thin dry scales detached from the epidermis especially in an abnormal skin condition; specifically dandruff 2. a. something like flakes or scales adhering to a surface b. the foul remains of something adherent 3. a. a scaly deposit or covering on some plant parts; also a localized or general darkening and roughening of a plant surface usually more pronounced than russeting b. a plant disease characterized by scurf • scurfy adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 flakes on the surface of the skin, cast off as fresh skin develops below, esp. those of the head; dandruff. 2 any scaly matter on a surface. Derivatives: scurfy adj. Etymology: OE, prob. f. ON & earlier OE sceorf, rel. to sceorfan gnaw, sceorfian cut to shreds

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Scurf Scurf, n. [AS. scurf, sceorf, or from Scand.; cf. Sw. skorf, Dan. skurv, Icel. skurfur, D. schurft, G. schorf; all akin to AS. scurf, and to AS. sceorfan to scrape, to gnaw, G. sch["u]rfen to scrape, and probably also to E. scrape. Cf. Scurvy.] 1. Thin dry scales or scabs upon the body; especially, thin scales exfoliated from the cuticle, particularly of the scalp; dandruff. 2. Hence, the foul remains of anything adherent. The scurf is worn away of each committed crime. --Dryden. 3. Anything like flakes or scales adhering to a surface. There stood a hill not far, whose grisly top Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire Shone with a glossy scurf. --Milton. 4. (Bot.) Minute membranous scales on the surface of some leaves, as in the goosefoot. --Gray.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. (Med.) Miliary scab. 2. Soil, stain, foul remains.

Moby Thesaurus

bilge, bilgewater, canaille, carrion, chip, corruption, dandruff, decay, dishwater, ditchwater, excrement, filth, flake, floccule, flocculus, flock, foul matter, furfur, gangrene, garbage, hoi polloi, masses, mess, mob, muck, mucus, obscenity, offal, offscourings, ordure, other half, paring, proletariat, pus, putrid matter, refuse, riffraff, rot, scale, scum, scuz, sewage, sewerage, shaving, slime, slop, slops, slough, smut, snot, sordes, swill, trash