Scratch

As a Noun

1. A mark or cut on a surface caused by something sharp (e.g., there was a scratch on the car door).
2. A small wound on the skin (e.g., he got a scratch from the cat).
3. An initial or rough version of something (e.g., she wrote the speech from scratch).
4. (Sports & Games) A withdrawal from a competition (e.g., the runner was a last-minute scratch).

As a Verb

1. To scrape or rub a surface with something sharp (e.g., he scratched his arm on a branch).
2. To relieve an itch by rubbing (e.g., she scratched her mosquito bite).
3. To write or draw roughly (e.g., he scratched his name onto the desk).
4. To remove something by scraping (e.g., he scratched off the paint).

Word History

The word scratch comes from Middle English scracchen, possibly derived from Old Norse skrata (to scratch or scrape). It originally referred to scraping surfaces and later expanded to include injuries, writing, and informal creation from nothing.

Examples

1. The kitten left a scratch on my hand.
2. He scratched his head, thinking about the answer.
3. They built the company from scratch.
4. She scratched a note on the paper quickly.

Synonyms

Scrape, mark, claw, scuff, etch

Related Words

Graze, nick, chafe, scribble, scrawl

Antonyms (depending on context)

Smooth, heal, polish, create (opposite of “from scratch”)