Dictionary

scribe en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• [skɹaɪ̯b] (Canada)
• [skɹəjb] (Canada)
• [skɹɑjb] (British, Southern, Standard)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /skɹaɪb/
• [skɹaɪ̯b] (Received-Pronunciation)
• [skɹaɪ̯b] (US)
• [skɹɑɪ̯b] (US)
• [skɹɑe̯b] (Australia, New-Zealand)

Etymology

From Middle English scribe, from Old French scribe (“scribe”), from Late Latin usage of scrība (“secretary”) (used in the Vulgate Bible translation to render Ancient Greek γραμματεύς (grammateús, “scribe, secretary”), which had been used in its turn to render the Hebrew סופר (“writer, scholar”)) from scrībere (“to write, draw, draw up, draft (a paper), enlist, enroll, levy; orig. to scratch”), probably akin to scrobs (“a ditch, trench, grave”).

Meanings

1. Someone who writes; a draughtsperson; a writer for another; especially, an official or public writer; an amanuensis, secretary, notary, or copyist.
   • Pay records, supply logs, discharge certificates: all needed scribes, and those who could write might have found themselves being spared the worst of the drudgery. 2025 July 15, James Osborne, “Could you have survived as a Roman soldier? Here's the surprising truth about life in the ancient army”, in History Extra, archived from the original on 15 Jul 2025:
   • [T]he pleasure of writing on wax with a stylus is exemplified by the fine, flowing hand of a Roman scribe who made out the birth certificate of Herennia Gemella, born March 128 AD. 2013 September 14, Jane Shilling, “The Golden Thread: the Story of Writing, by Ewan Clayton, review [print edition: Illuminating language]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), page R28:
2. Someone who writes; a draughtsperson; a writer for another; especially, an official or public writer; an amanuensis, secretary, notary, or copyist. ▸ A person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession.
   • The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone,[…]. Scribes, illuminators, and scholars held such stones directly over manuscript pages as an aid in seeing what was being written, drawn, or read. 2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist:
3. (informal) A journalist.
4. (archaic) A writer and doctor of the law; one skilled in the law and traditions; one who read and explained the law to the people.
5. A very sharp, steel drawing implement used in engraving and etching, a scriber.

Forms

Deriveds

etching scribe · scribal · air scribe · scribely · scribacious

Relateds

notary

Synonyms

amanuensis · scrivener · tabellion

Translations (162)

ko 필경사 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · uk секрета́р (writer and doctor of the law) · sv skrivare (one who writes; a draughtsman) · lv rakstvedis (one who writes; a draughtsman) · yue 抄寫員 /抄写员 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · gv screeudeyr (one who writes; a draughtsman) · es escriba (writer and doctor of the law) · pl pisarz (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ca escriba (writer and doctor of the law) · sl pisar (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ar نَاسِخ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ja 筆記者 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · hy գրիչ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · es escriba (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ms katib (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ru писе́ц (writer and doctor of the law) · nci āmoxtlahcuiloh (one who writes; a draughtsman) · uz kotib (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fa-ira دَبیر (one who writes; a draughtsman) · cmn 抄寫員 /抄写员 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ps منشي (one who writes; a draughtsman) · bg кни́жник (writer and doctor of the law) · uga 𐎒𐎔𐎗 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · hi मुंशी (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ja スクライブ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · la librārius (one who writes; a draughtsman) · pl skryba (one who writes; a draughtsman) · da skriver (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sq shkrues (one who writes; a draughtsman) · nb skriver (one who writes; a draughtsman) · gv screeudeyr (journalist) · ang wrītere (one who writes; a draughtsman) · kk бітікші (one who writes; a draughtsman) · la scrība (one who writes; a draughtsman) · grc γραμματεύς (writer and doctor of the law) · km ស្មៀន (one who writes; a draughtsman) · xag 𐕁𐔼𐕗𐔿𐔰𐔱𐔰𐔰𐔾 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fr scribe (writer and doctor of the law) · chr ᏗᏃᏪᎵᏍᎩ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · lb Räissnol (steel drawing implement) · uz mirza (one who writes; a draughtsman) · akk 𒁾𒊬 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · be пі́сарка (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ru пи́сарь (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ga scríobhaí (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ps ميرزا (one who writes; a draughtsman) · tg дабир (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ug كۆچۈرگۈچى (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ar كَاتِب (one who writes; a draughtsman) · pl kopista (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fr scribe (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ru дьяк (writer and doctor of the law) · la librāriolus (one who writes; a draughtsman) · hi कातिब (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sh писа̀рица (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fi lainoppinut (writer and doctor of the law) · hu írnok (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fi kirjuri (one who writes; a draughtsman) · bg пи́сар (one who writes; a draughtsman) · gl amanuense (one who writes; a draughtsman) · pt amanuense (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sw mwandishi (one who writes; a draughtsman) · grc γραμματεύς (one who writes; a draughtsman) · uz bitikchi (one who writes; a draughtsman) · mn бичээч (one who writes; a draughtsman) · la scrība (writer and doctor of the law) · fa-ira کاتِب (one who writes; a draughtsman) · es punta de trazar (steel drawing implement) · ang bōcere (one who writes; a draughtsman) · tg муҳаррир (one who writes; a draughtsman) · tk kätip (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fa-ira میرْزا (one who writes; a draughtsman) · mi karaipi (writer and doctor of the law) · be пі́сар (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ky бесир (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sh пѝса̄р (one who writes; a draughtsman) · gl escribán (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ps کاتب (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fa-ira مُحَرِّر (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ru кни́жник (writer and doctor of the law) · sux 𒁾𒊬 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · es escribiente (one who writes; a draughtsman) · gl escriba (one who writes; a draughtsman) · mnc ᠪᡳᡨᡥᡝᠰᡳ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · uk пи́сар (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ps ليکونکى (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ur مُنْشی (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ru черти́лка (steel drawing implement) · nl schrijver (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ur مُحَرِّر (one who writes; a draughtsman) · it scrivano (one who writes; a draughtsman) · lo ອາລັກ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · th อาลักษณ์ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · az katib (one who writes; a draughtsman) · pdt Schreftjelieeda (writer and doctor of the law) · sh pisàrica (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sah суруксут (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ru писе́ц (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fa-ira دِبیر (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sk pisár (one who writes; a draughtsman) · uk пи́сарка (one who writes; a draughtsman) · cs písařka (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sl pisarka (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sk pisárka (one who writes; a draughtsman) · lt raštininkas (one who writes; a draughtsman) · bg пи́сарка (one who writes; a draughtsman) · de Reißnadel (steel drawing implement) · cmn 文士 (writer and doctor of the law) · kk жазбагер (one who writes; a draughtsman) · et kirjutaja (one who writes; a draughtsman) · de Schriftgelehrter (writer and doctor of the law) · nci tlahcuiloh (one who writes; a draughtsman) · hi मुहर्रिर (one who writes; a draughtsman) · pt escriba (one who writes; a draughtsman) · tg котиб (one who writes; a draughtsman) · tum mulembi (one who writes; a draughtsman) · tg мирзо (one who writes; a draughtsman) · de Schreiber (one who writes; a draughtsman) · egy Y4-A1 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fi skribentti (journalist) · nl kopiist (one who writes; a draughtsman) · he טַפְסָר (one who writes; a draughtsman) · he לַבְלָר (one who writes; a draughtsman) · az münşi (one who writes; a draughtsman) · mk пи́сар (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ur کاتِب (one who writes; a draughtsman) · pt escriba (writer and doctor of the law) · nl schriftgeleerde (writer and doctor of the law) · mk пи́сарка (one who writes; a draughtsman) · nl kraspen (steel drawing implement) · tg муншӣ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · km លិបិការ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · cs písař (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sw mwandishi (writer and doctor of the law) · vi thư lại (one who writes; a draughtsman) · gez ጸሓፊ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · pl pisarka (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ru секрета́рь (writer and doctor of the law) · uz mirzo (one who writes; a draughtsman) · it scriba (one who writes; a draughtsman) · got 𐌱𐍉𐌺𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 (one who writes; a draughtsman) · el γραφέας (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ms jurutulis (one who writes; a draughtsman) · it amanuense (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ky катчы (one who writes; a draughtsman) · de Kopist (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ka გადამწერი (one who writes; a draughtsman) · mn ᠪᠢᠴᠢᠭᠡᠴᠢ (one who writes; a draughtsman) · bg черти́лка (steel drawing implement) · ro copist (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ca escrivà (one who writes; a draughtsman) · kmr katib (one who writes; a draughtsman) · ro scrib (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fi piirrin (steel drawing implement) · mk дијак (one who writes; a draughtsman) · eo skribisto (one who writes; a draughtsman) · is skrifari (one who writes; a draughtsman) · yi סופֿר (one who writes; a draughtsman) · tr kâtip (one who writes; a draughtsman) · fa-ira مُنْشی (one who writes; a draughtsman) · arc סָפַר (one who writes; a draughtsman) · sh pìsār (one who writes; a draughtsman)

scribe en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• [skɹaɪ̯b] (Canada)
• [skɹəjb] (Canada)
• [skɹɑjb] (British, Southern, Standard)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /skɹaɪb/
• [skɹaɪ̯b] (Received-Pronunciation)
• [skɹaɪ̯b] (US)
• [skɹɑɪ̯b] (US)
• [skɹɑe̯b] (Australia, New-Zealand)

Etymology

From Middle English scryben (“to write”), from Latin scrībō (“to write”). Doublet of shrive. The carpentry sense comes from the way a workman uses a compass to mark a line before cutting.

Meanings

1. To write.
2. To write, engrave, or mark upon; to inscribe.
   • There was the curious fascination expressed regarding the triangular relationship between the poor white, the black, and the hookworm — suggesting a desire to differentiate and segregate the poor white body from that of the black and to scribe more boldly what was often, for the poorest people of the South, a very thin line. 2006, Matt Wray, Not Quite White, page 121:
   • There—at Ioue wexed wroth, and in his ſpright / Did inly grudge, yet did it well conceale; / And bade Dan Phœbus Scribe her Appellation ſeale. c. 1597–1598, Edmund Spenser, “Two Cantos of Mutabilitie: […]. Book VII, Canto VI.”, in The Faerie Queene, […], London: […] H[umphrey] L[ownes] for Mathew Lownes, published 1609, →OCLC, stanza 35, page 356:
   • he scribed his name on the mould, and wrote it on the two pieces of pasteboard 1812, anonymous author, The Trial:
3. To record, as a scribe.
4. To write or draw with a scribe.
5. To cut (something) in order to fit it closely to an irregular surface, as a baseboard to a floor which is out of level, a board to the curves of a moulding, etc.
6. To score or mark with compasses or a scribing iron.

Forms

Relateds

transcribe · subscribe · inscribe · superscribe · proscribe · shrive · circumscribe · describe · ascribe · prescribe · script · conscribe · escribe

Translations (20)

sv skriva (to write) · ru писа́ть (to write) · non skrá (to record) · de schreiben (to write) · mk пи́шува (to write) · ja 書く (to write) · fi kirjata (to record) · bg пи́ша (to write) · es escribir (to write) · fi piirrottaa (to write or draw with a scribe) · bg впи́свам (to record) · mk запи́шува (to record) · es grabar (to record) · fi kirjoittaa (to write) · ru записать (to record) · is rita (to record) · is skrá (to record) · is skrifa (to write) · cmn 繕寫 /缮写 (to write) · ru записывать (to record)