What does "scour" mean?
The removal of sediment caused by swiftly moving water.
Scour
/ˈskaʊə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The removal of sediment caused by swiftly moving water.
- Grammar: scour is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ablate, abrade, abrade, abrase.
- Useful contrasts: build up, contaminate, contamination.
- Usage evidence: A cost-effective way to explore the Solar System was to send thousands of robotic probes to scour celestial bodies for data.
How to use "scour"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "scour" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "scour" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "scour" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "scour" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "scour" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ablate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "scour", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The removal of sediment caused by swiftly moving water. countable, uncountable
"Bridge scour may scoop out scour holes and compromise the integrity of the structure."
- 2 a place that is scoured (especially by running water) wordnet
- 3 A place scoured out by running water, as in the bed of a stream below a waterfall. countable, uncountable
"Fish as near the middle of the stream as you can in the spring months, and also on the shallows and scowers; but in the winter, in deep holes; let the bait drag two or three inches on the ground."
- 4 A place where wool is washed to remove grease and impurities prior to processing. countable, uncountable
"I am particularly interested in the wool processing indusries, which make a major contribution to the Hawke's Bay regional economy. There are five wool scours in the area, all of them located within the Hawke's Bay electorate. […] I am pleased to report that the prototype Drycom system was given its first full trial at the UEB Awatoto scour in Hawke's Bay."
- 5 Diarrhoea, in livestock; scouring. countable, uncountable
"The Cause and Nature of the Skit, or Scour, of Sheep and Lambs."
Verb
- 1 To clean, polish, or wash (something) by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously, frequently with an abrasive or cleaning agent. transitive
"He scoured the burnt food from the pan."
- 2 To search an area thoroughly. transitive
"They scoured the scene of the crime for clues."
- 3 rinse, clean, or empty with a liquid wordnet
- 4 To remove debris and dirt (from something) by purging; to sweep along or off by a current of water. transitive
"I will redeeme all this on Percies head, / And in the cloſing of ſome glorious day / Be bold to tell you that I am your ſonne, / When I will weare a garment all of bloud, / And ſtaine my fauors in a bloudy maske, / Which waſht away ſhall ſcoure my ſhame with it, […]"
- 5 To run with speed; to scurry. intransitive
"Lord. Behind the tuft of Pines I met them, neuer Saw I men scowre so on their way: I eyed them Euen to their Ships."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 clean with hard rubbing wordnet
- 7 To clear the digestive tract (of an animal) by administering medication that induces defecation or vomiting; to purge. transitive
"to scour a horse"
- 8 To move swiftly over; to brush along. transitive
"When Ajax ſtrives, ſome Rock's vaſt Weight to throw, / The Line too labours, and the Words move ſlow; / Not ſo, when ſwift Camilla ſcours the plain, / Flies o'er th'unbending Corn, and skims along the Main."
- 9 rub hard or scrub wordnet
- 10 To (cause livestock to) suffer from diarrhoea or dysentery. ambitransitive
"If a lamb is scouring, do not delay treatment."
- 11 examine minutely wordnet
- 12 To cleanse (something) without rubbing. ambitransitive, obsolete
"It is reported, that in ſome Lakes, the Water is ſo Nitrous, as if Foule Cloathes be put into it, it ſcoureth them of it ſelfe: And if they ſtay any whit long, they moulder away. And the Scouring Vertue of Nitre is the more to be noted, becauſe it is a Body Cold; And wee ſee Warme Water ſcoureth better than Cold."
Antonyms
Example
"A cost-effective way to explore the Solar System was to send thousands of robotic probes to scour celestial bodies for data."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "scour"?
Common synonyms include: ablate, abrade, abrade, abrase, baptize, bark.
How do you use "scour" in a sentence?
A cost-effective way to explore the Solar System was to send thousands of robotic probes to scour celestial bodies for data.
How do you pronounce "scour"?
Pronounced /ˈskaʊə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English scǒuren (“to polish, scour; to clean; to beat, whip”), from Middle Dutch scuren, schuren (“to clean; to polish”) or Middle Low German schǖren, of uncertain origin but probably from Old French escurer, from Medieval Latin scūrō, escūrō, excūrō (“to clean off”), from ex- (“thoroughly”) + cūrō (“to arrange, see to, take care of”), from cūra (“care, concern”) (from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeys- (“to heed”)) + -ō. The word is cognate with Danish skure, Middle High German schüren, schiuren (modern German scheuern (“to scour, scrub; to chafe”)), Norwegian skura (“to scrub”), Swedish skura, Catalan escurar.
Etymology 2
From Middle English scǒuren, scure, skoure (“to move quickly; to travel around in search of enemies”), from scǒur (“attack, conflict; pang of emotional suffering”), from Old Norse skýra (“to rush in”) and skúr (“a shower; a shower of missiles”), perhaps influenced by the verb scǒuren: see etymology 1.