What does "scree" mean?
Loose stony debris on a slope.
Scree
/skɹiː/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Loose stony debris on a slope.
- Grammar: scree is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aa, abyssal rock, alluvion, alluvium.
- Usage evidence: To the north the towering scree-strewn slopes of Saddleback begin to draw nearer as we start the abrupt descent towards Keswick.
How to use "scree"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "scree" 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 "scree" 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 "scree" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "scree" 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 "aa" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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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 Loose stony debris on a slope. uncountable
"To the north the towering scree-strewn slopes of Saddleback begin to draw nearer as we start the abrupt descent towards Keswick."
- 2 A harsh, high-pitched sound or cry (as of a hawk).
"I think both of our hearts must have gone into overdrive when we heard the metallic scree of a door being rolled open and the men's voices that accompanied it."
- 3 A coarse sieve. Scotland
"A contract of lease was entered into between the pursuer, who is the proprietor of the estate of Bargaddie, on the one part, and William M'Creath and others, carrying on business under the firm of the Bargaddie Coal Company, on the other part, […] and the lessees becoming bound to pay to the pursuer the sum of £500 sterling of fixed yearly rent, or, in his option, a lordship of 5½d. per cart of the gross output of coals, such cart weighing 13 cwt., and the coals being riddled through a riddle or scree of the customary size."
- 4 a sloping mass of loose rocks at the base of a cliff wordnet
- 5 Similar debris made up of broken building material such as bricks, concrete, etc. broadly, uncountable
"Acres of the industrial port had been reduced to desolation, half-walls, half-chimneys, crazy sticks of steel that looped up out of concrete scree. The temptation not to clear and rebuild must have been strong."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A slope made up of scree at the base of a cliff, mountain, etc. countable
"The next landmark was an apachita 'cairn', at the top of a steep scree. Each pilgrim carried a stone to the summit, spat on it, and threw it on to the cairn — the purpose being, I was told, to relieve the soul of its sins […]"
Verb
- 1 To traverse scree downhill.
"We decided it would be fun to go down the face of the mountain screeing ("skiing" on scree)."
- 2 To make a high-pitched cry like that of a hawk.
"They smelled the land before they saw it. A rich, dark odor of sweet earth, coming at them through a misty rain. Then seabirds appeared, crying and screeing."
- 3 To flatten or level concrete while still wet, and remove protruding gravel and stones from the surface.
"The crushing and screeing equipment owned by the TVA was transferred from job to job, and the availability of this equipment was one of the factors in determining who would produce the aggregate."
Example
"To the north the towering scree-strewn slopes of Saddleback begin to draw nearer as we start the abrupt descent towards Keswick."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "scree"?
Common synonyms include: aa, abyssal rock, alluvion, alluvium, basalt, bedrock.
How do you use "scree" in a sentence?
To the north the towering scree-strewn slopes of Saddleback begin to draw nearer as we start the abrupt descent towards Keswick.
How do you pronounce "scree"?
Pronounced /skɹiː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Probably a back-formation from screes, from Old Norse skriða (“landslide, landslip”); compare skríða (“to glide”) (from Proto-Germanic *skrīþaną (“to crawl; to glide; to walk”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreyt-, *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”)). The word is cognate with Icelandic skriða (“avalanche; landslide, landslip; steep mountain- or hillside made up of gravel and loose rocks”).
Etymology 2
Onomatopoeic.
Etymology 3
A variant of screed.
Etymology 4
Apparently from screen.