Dictionary

scuffle en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈskʌfəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Possibly of North Germanic/Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish skuff (“a push”) and skuffa (“to push”), from the Proto-Germanic base *skuf- (skuƀ), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ-, see also Lithuanian skùbti (“to hurry”), Polish skubać (“to pluck”), Albanian humb (“to lose”).

Meanings

1. A rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters.
   • It appears the Company had received news that one of their captains had been killed in a scuffle with the natives. 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 198:
   • Fights ensued as many England supporters attempted to retreat before some stewards moved in. Intermittent scuffles continued to break out until the section of the crowd where the trouble started was vacated. 2016 June 11, Phil McNulty, “England 1–1 Russia”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 13 Jun 2016:
   • The Dog leaps upon the Serpent, and Tears it to Pieces; but in the Scuffle the Cradle happen'd to be Overturn'd: […] 1692, Roger L'Estrange, “Fab[le] CCCCLXX. A Farmer and His Servant.”, in Fables of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: With Morals and Reflexions, London: Printed for R[ichard] Sare, T. Sawbridge, B. Took, M[atthew] Gillyflower, A. & J. Churchil, and J[oseph] Hindmarsh, →OCLC; 2nd corrected and amended edition, London: Printed for R[ichard] Sare, B. Took, M[atthew] Gillyflower, A. & J. Churchil, J[oseph] Hindmarsh, and G[eorge] Sawbridge, 1694, →OCLC, page 435:
2. (slang) Poverty; struggle.
   • But even on the scuffle / The cleaner's press was in my jeans 1975, Joni Mitchell, “The Boho Dance”, in The Hissing of Summer Lawns:
3. (archaic) A child's pinafore or bib.

Forms

Deriveds

scuffly · scuffle hunter

Translations (46)

bg боричкане (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · gl pelexa (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · de Rauferei (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · fi nujakka (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · it rissa (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · pt rixa (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · fr rixe (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · fr bagarre (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · nl scheldpartij (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · nl handgemeen (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · eu liskar (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · nl schermutselingen (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · ro încăierare (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · hu csetepaté (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · uk бійка (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · ja 取っ組み合い (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · alt јудрукташ (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · nl schermutseling (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · cs rvačka (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · pl szamotanina (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · fi kahina (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · es riña (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · pl bójka (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · sv slagsmål (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · fr échauffourée (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · scn scuppazzata (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · hu verekedés (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · kmr pevçûn (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · sv handgemäng (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · scn cappuliata (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · fi kahakka (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · it ruffa (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · bg схватка (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · it zuffa (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · hu dulakodás (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · tr boğuşma (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · pl przepychanka (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · es refriega (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · fi käsirysy (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · it baruffa (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · ru дра́ка (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · nrf freûlée (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · ca batussa (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · ru сты́чка (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · uk сутичка (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters) · de Handgemenge (rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters)

scuffle en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈskʌfəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Possibly of North Germanic/Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish skuff (“a push”) and skuffa (“to push”), from the Proto-Germanic base *skuf- (skuƀ), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ-, see also Lithuanian skùbti (“to hurry”), Polish skubać (“to pluck”), Albanian humb (“to lose”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters.
   • Certainly a gallant man had rather fight to great diſadvantages for number and place in the field in an orderly way, then ſcuffle with an undiſciplined rabble. 1648, attributed to Charles I of England, Εἰκὼν Βασιλική [Eikōn Basilikē = Royal Portrait]. The Pourtraicture of His Sacred Maiestie, in His Solitvdes and Svfferings, [London?]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 15:
2. (intransitive) To walk with a shuffling gait.
   • But shiftings and readjustments ensued, as they are sure to do with a walking-party. Cope presently found himself scuffling through the thin grass and the briery thickets alongside the young business-man. 1919, Henry B[lake] Fuller, “Cope at His House Party”, in Bertram Cope’s Year: A Novel, Chicago, Ill.: Ralph Fletcher Seymour, The Alderbrink Press, →OCLC, page 94:
3. (slang) To make a living with difficulty, getting by on a low income, to struggle financially.
   • Once a good friend of mine, a fine hoofer who was having trouble getting bookings, ran up to that tree, gave it a big smack, and yelled “Lawd please make me a pimp, any kind of a pimp, long as I’m pimpin’. I’m tired of scufflin’ and my feet are too long outa work.” 1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Tell a Green Man Something”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 3 (1928–1935: The Big Apple), page 208:

Forms

Deriveds

scuffler

Translations (46)

fi kahista (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl szamotać się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · de balgen (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl wiązać koniec z końcem (to get by (financially)) · ru дра́ться (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · bg боричкам се (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · uk плентатися (to walk with a shuffling gait) · pl trzaskać się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl prać się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · ru ша́ркать (to walk with a shuffling gait) · pl bić się (to fight or struggle confusedly typically to obtain someone's possession) · hu dulakodik (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · uk чубитися (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · fi kitkutella (to get by (financially)) · es reñir (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · az çarpışmaq (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · ca esbatussar-se (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · uk човгати (to walk with a shuffling gait) · fi kitkuttaa (to get by (financially)) · fi nujakoida (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl szurać (to walk with a shuffling gait) · fi kituuttaa (to get by (financially)) · kix ā-āp-í (to fight or struggle confusedly typically to obtain someone's possession) · ace meuleukek (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · ro a se încăiera (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl targać się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl tłuc się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · fi laahustaa (to walk with a shuffling gait) · pl walić się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · fi kahakoida (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · bg тътря се (to walk with a shuffling gait) · nl roepen (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl naparzać się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · nl schelden (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · de schlurfen (to walk with a shuffling gait) · pl szamotać się (to fight or struggle confusedly typically to obtain someone's possession) · nrf s'freûler (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · az dalaşmaq (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl grzmocić się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · hu csoszog (to walk with a shuffling gait) · de raufen (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · fi kärhämöidä (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · fi nitkuttaa (to get by (financially)) · uk битися (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl młócić się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters) · pl napieprzać się (to fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters)

scuffle en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈskʌfəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

The noun is a borrowing from Dutch schoffel; the English verb arose via subsequent verbification within English but is also parallel with Dutch schoffelen.

Meanings

1. A type of hoe, manipulated by both pushing and pulling, with a sharp blade parallel with the worked surface; an instance of this type.
   • Near-synonyms: collinear hoe, collineal hoe (loosely synonymous)

Forms

Hypernyms

tool · hoe · hand tool · implement

Synonyms

Dutch hoe · collinear hoe · scuffle hoe · collineal hoe[Appendix:Glossary

Translations (7)

ru пропо́лочная моты́га (specialized hoe for weeding) · nl schoffel (specialized hoe for weeding) · ru голла́ндская моты́га (specialized hoe for weeding) · mi pāketu (specialized hoe for weeding) · es azada holandesa (specialized hoe for weeding) · fr binette (specialized hoe for weeding) · pl graca (specialized hoe for weeding)

scuffle en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈskʌfəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

The noun is a borrowing from Dutch schoffel; the English verb arose via subsequent verbification within English but is also parallel with Dutch schoffelen.

Meanings

1. To work the soil surface for weeding, etc.
   • Near-synonyms: (sometimes synonymous) scarify, cultivate, grub; weed

Forms

Deriveds

scuffler

Synonyms

weed · grub · cultivate · scarify