scumming

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scum

(skŭm)

1. A filmy or frothy layer of matter that forms on the surface of a liquid or body of water or on a hard surface.

2. The refuse or dross of molten metals.

3. Refuse or worthless matter.

4. Slang One, such as a person or an element of society, that is regarded as despicable or worthless.

v. scummed, scum·ming, scums

v.tr.

To remove the scum from.

v.intr.

To become covered with scum.

[Middle English, from Middle Dutch schūm; see (s)keu- in Indo-European roots.]

scum′mer n.

scum′mi·ly adv.

scum′mi·ness n.

scum′my 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.

References in classic literature ?

His employment, from his first coming into the academy, was an operation to reduce human excrement to its original food, by separating the several parts, removing the tincture which it receives from the gall, making the odour exhale, and scumming off the saliva.

View in context

A new mold cleaner for all closed-mold processes is said to combat mold scumming and cut through crusted-on styrene buildup with minimal scrubbing.

Mold cleaner fights buildup. (Keeping up with Composites)

While the other agents also provided adequate release, they reportedly produced much more mold scumming and build-up.