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scruff

noun
/skɹʌf/US/skɹɐf/

Etymology

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).

Definitions

  1. Someone with an untidy appearance.

    • That candidate will never get the job: he's a right scruff.

  2. Stubble, facial hair (on males).

  3. Crust.

  4. ›+ 4 more definitions

    1. Scurf.

    2. The loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals.

    3. The back of the neck, nape

      The back of the neck, nape; also scruff of the neck.

      • He grabbed his unruly child by the scruff of the neck, and took him home.

    4. To lift or carry by the scruff.

      • She gently scruffed the kitten who was trying to climb her leg.

The neighborhood

Derived

Apple scruff, scruffy

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for scruff. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA