scrabble
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scrab·ble
(skrăb′əl)v. scrab·bled, scrab·bling, scrab·bles
v.intr.
1. To scrape or grope about frenetically with the hands or paws: "They often scrabbled through kitchen drawers looking for coins to buy bread" (Steve Friedman).
2. To move or climb with scrambling, disorderly haste: scrabbled down the rocks to the water.
3. To struggle or work hard in a disorderly or desperate fashion: "For quite some time I scrabbled around, playing the piano at jazz bars, doing whatever ... journalism I could get" (Frank Conroy).
4. To write hastily or make disordered markings; scribble.
v.tr.
1. To make or obtain by frenetic or desperate action: scrabble a living from soil depleted of nutrients.
2.
a. To scrape or scratch (a surface): "Tubal got him a pointed rod / And scrabbled the earth for corn" (Rudyard Kipling).
b. To move or arrange hastily with the hands: "The next flat tombstone was covered with leaves. I scrabbled the dust away" (Ray Bradbury).
3. To scribble or write down hastily: scrabbled the answer on a sheet of paper.
n.
1. The act or an instance of scrabbling.
2. A scribble; a doodle.
[Dutch schrabbelen, from Middle Dutch, frequentative of schrabben, to scrape; see sker- in Indo-European roots.]
scrab′bler n.
scrab′bly adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
scrabble
(ˈskræbəl)vb
1. (intr; often foll by about or at) to scrape (at) or grope (for), as with hands or claws
2. to struggle (with)
3. (often foll by: for) to struggle to gain possession, esp in a disorderly manner
4. to scribble
n
5. the act or an instance of scrabbling
6. a scribble
7. a disorderly struggle
[C16: from Middle Dutch shrabbelen, frequentative of shrabben to scrape]
Scrabble
(ˈskræbəl)n
(Games, other than specified) trademark a board game in which words are formed by placing lettered tiles in a pattern similar to a crossword puzzle
ˈScrabbler n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
scrab•ble
(ˈskræb əl)v. -bled, -bling,
n. v.i.
1. to scratch or dig frantically with the hands or claws.
2. to struggle in a disorderly way; scramble.
v.t. 3. to scratch or scrape, as with the claws or hands.
4. to gather hastily; scrape together.
5. to scrawl; scribble.
n. 6. a scratching or scraping, as with the claws or hands.
7. a scrawled or scribbled writing.
8. a disorderly struggle for possession of something; scramble.
[1530–40; < Dutch schrabbelen to scratch, frequentative of schrabben to scrape]
scrab′bler, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
scrabble
Past participle: scrabbled
Gerund: scrabbling
| Imperative |
|---|
| scrabble |
| scrabble |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  scrabble - an aimless drawing drawing - a representation of forms or objects on a surface by means of lines; "drawings of abstract forms"; "he did complicated pen-and-ink drawings like medieval miniatures" |
| 2. |  Scrabble - a board game in which words are formed from letters in patterns similar to a crossword puzzle; each letter has a value and those values are used to score the gameword game - any game involving the formation or alteration or discovery of words board game - a game played on a specially designed board trademark - a formally registered symbol identifying the manufacturer or distributor of a product | |
| Verb | 1. | scrabble - feel searchingly; "She groped for his keys in the dark" feel - grope or feel in search of something; "He felt for his wallet" |
| 2. |  scrabble - write down quickly without much attention to detailwrite - communicate or express by writing; "Please write to me every week" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
scrabble
verb
1. scrape, scratch, scramble, dig, claw, paw, grope, clamber I hung there, scrabbling with my feet to find a foothold.
2. strive, rush, hasten, run, push, contend, vie, jostle, jockey for position, make haste The banks are now desperately scrabbling to recover their costs.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
لُعْبَة بِناء الكَلِماتيُخَرْبِش، يَبْحَثُ مُسْمِعا أصوات
hrabatšátrat
rode
négykézláb keres
klóra, krafsaskrafl
brazdėtikrebždėtižodžių loto
rakņātiesvārdu/burtu loto
yoklamak
scrabble
[ˈskræbl]A. VI to scrabble about or around for sth → revolver todo buscando algo
she was scrabbling about in the coal → andaba rebuscando por entre el carbón
she was scrabbling about in the coal → andaba rebuscando por entre el carbón
B. N Scrabble® (game) → Scrabble ® m
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Scrabble®
[ˈskræbəl] n → Scrabble® mto play Scrabble → jouer au Scrabble
scrabble
[ˈskræbəl] vi
(= scratch) → gratter
to scrabble for grip [person] → s'efforcer de trouver une prise; [tyres, car, bike] → déraper, être en manque d'adhérence
to scrabble for grip [person] → s'efforcer de trouver une prise; [tyres, car, bike] → déraper, être en manque d'adhérence
(= grope) → fourrager
to scrabble for sth → fourrager partout pour trouver qch
to scrabble through [+ room, bag, drawer] → fourrager dans
to scrabble at sth (= search through) [+ ground, rubble] → fouiller dans qch
to scrabble for sth → fourrager partout pour trouver qch
to scrabble through [+ room, bag, drawer] → fourrager dans
to scrabble at sth (= search through) [+ ground, rubble] → fouiller dans qch
(= struggle) to scrabble to do sth → s'escrimer à faire qch
to scrabble for sth
His mind scrabbled for alternatives → Il se creusait la tête pour trouver d'autres solutions.
She scrabbled around in her backpack → Elle fourragea dans son sac à dos.
to scrabble about for sth, to scrabble around for sth → chercher qch à tâtons
to scrabble for sth
His mind scrabbled for alternatives → Il se creusait la tête pour trouver d'autres solutions.
scrabble about
scrabble around vi (= grope) → fourragerShe scrabbled around in her backpack → Elle fourragea dans son sac à dos.
to scrabble about for sth, to scrabble around for sth → chercher qch à tâtons
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
scrabble
vi (also scrabble about (Brit) or around) → (herum)tasten; (among movable objects) → (herum)wühlen; the hens scrabbled (around) in the earth → die Hühner wühlten im Boden herum; his mind scrabbled for alternatives → er suchte in seinem Hirn nach Alternativen
n Scrabble® → Scrabble® nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Scrabble
® [ˈskræbl] n → Scarabeo ®scrabble
[ˈskræbl]1. vi (claw) to scrabble (at) → raspare, grattare
to scrabble about or around for sth → cercare a tastoni qc
to scrabble about or around for sth → cercare a tastoni qc
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
Scrabble®
(ˈskrӕbl) noun a kind of word-building game.
scrabble
(ˈskrӕbl) verb (usually with about or around) to make scratching noises or movements. He was scrabbling about looking for the money he had dropped.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.