scrape
/skɹeɪp/ verb C1- To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure. · She scraped the wooden plate with her fingernails.· That car often scrapes the shallowest of humps because of its low ground clearance.
- To remove (something) by drawing an object along in this manner. · Scrape the chewing gum off with a knife.
- To injure or damage by rubbing across a surface. · She tripped on a rock and scraped her knee.
- To barely manage to achieve or attain. · I scraped a pass in the exam.
- To collect or gather, especially without regard to the quality of what is chosen. · Just use whatever you can scrape together.
- To extract data by automated means from a format not intended to be machine-readable, such as a screenshot or a formatted web page. · They didn't provide an API, so I simply scraped their website.
- To occupy oneself with getting laboriously. · He scraped and saved until he became rich.
- To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or similar instrument. · Some people covered their ears when he started to scrape his violin.
He/she/it scrapes · Past scraped · Past participle scraped · -ing form scraping
Verb forms
- Base form
- scrape
- He/she/it
- scrapes
- Past
- scraped
- Past participle
- scraped
- -ing form
- scraping
Phrasal verbs and expressions
- scrape along to barely be able to survive
- scrape by To only afford the essentials; to barely sustain oneself.
- scrape down To make the ground flat with tools like a hoe or shovel.
- scrape off To remove (something) by a scraping action.
- scrape through To marginally manage to progress.
- scrape up To scrape completely; cover all over with scrapes.
From the library
Being no disciple of Cagliostro, I was wholly unable to do this; so, by way of getting out of the scrape, I said, ‘Ask Morcerf; he has got the whole history of his beloved Monte Cristo at his fingers’ ends;’ whereupon the baroness signified her desire to see you.”
Leaning back in his arm-chair of an evening, he would close his eyes and scrape carelessly at the fiddle which was thrown across his knee.
When I returned with the pistol the table had been cleared, and Holmes was engaged in his favourite occupation of scraping upon his violin.
“I’m always getting into scrapes myself and getting my best friends--people I’d shed my heart’s blood for--into them too.
Other matches
Learn scrape in real texts
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