Definition of scratch in English:

scratch

verb skratʃskrætʃ

1with object Score or mark the surface of (something) with a sharp or pointed object.
刮擦
the car's paintwork was battered and scratched
汽车的油漆被刮擦得斑驳不堪。
no object he scratched at a stain on his jacket
他刮擦着夹克衫上的污渍。
Example sentencesExamples
- I'm not sure if it's the shipping, but our base was scratched pretty badly.
- Early treatises advise rubbing the surface with garlic, but more usually the panel was scratched slightly to provide some tooth to which the paint can adhere.
- When the businessman returned to his car, however, he found that one of the locals had taken a nail to it, badly scratching the paint.
- Don't try to remove it all by scraping or you will scratch the surfaces.
- He still had on some armor that covered his rather muscular physique, but it was scratched and dented pretty badly.
- I check whether I'm still able to judge speed and distance accurately by making sure I can get my car key in the door lock without breaking it or scratching the paintwork.
- On my return I found that my vehicle was scratched with what seems to be a very sharp instrument - perhaps a nail - from the front fender to the back tail gate.
- When you rent DVDs, how on earth do you manage to scratch them up so badly?
- Never use abrasives on either anodized or painted surfaces as they will scratch it.
- How to clean leather with serious grease or oil stains without scratching the fabric is simple.
- As you can see in the picture below, a deliberate attempt to damage the mousing surface by scratching it with a key caused very little damage.
- Place a canvas drop cloth over the floor of the tub or shower to protect the surface from the sand-like grout that can scratch it.
- He scratched a match across the surface of the table and lit his pipe.
- Blow or tip these shavings from your material at regular intervals: never use a brush as this could badly scratch your surface.
- Let only the flat edge of the blade touch the surface to prevent scratching it.
- An unexpected sharp vibration can cause the head to crash onto the surface of the disk, gouging it like a phonograph needle can scratch a record.
- Use a narrow wooden spatula or similar tool that won't scratch the wok's cooking surface.
- In May vandals went on the rampage trashing cars in a spate of incidents on the estates, including smashing windows, slashing sunroofs, tyres and scratching paintwork.
- The outside edges on my ring come to pretty sharp 90 degree angle and I've scratched a few windows including a car windshield with it.
- Cases hitting the ground will inevitably pick up grit that can scratch the inside of the die and leave a mark on every case loaded.
Synonyms
score, abrade, scrape, roughen, scuff (up), lacerate, groove, gash, engrave, incise, gouge
1. 1.1 Make a long, narrow superficial wound in the skin of.
  划伤皮肤
  her arms were scratched by the thorns
  她的双臂被荆棘划伤了。
  I scratched myself on the tree
  我被树划伤了。
  Example sentencesExamples
  She sat down and looked to her arms, which had been bruised and scratched by the brush.
  His face, arms and legs were badly scratched and his clothes were torn.
  A branch scratched him on the arm, ripping lightly into his flesh and a skimpy drop of blood came out.
  She showed no sign of caring that her slim boyish legs, encased in her elder brothers khaki shorts, were being scratched by the thorns of the roses that she skedaddled past.
  I am always stubbing my toe, smashing my arms against walls, tripping over, scratching myself.
  He dropped one hand and the one on her chin was drawn away with the nails toward her skin, so he scratched her slightly.
  The 44-year-old housekeeper alleged Campbell punched and scratched her face so badly she went to hospital.
  If your child cuts or scratches his or her skin, be sure to use soap and water to clean the area because open wounds are more susceptible to warts and other infections.
  He has to wear tights on his legs and long sleeves on his arms on a hot Missouri day so he doesn't scratch himself.
  I punched and kicked and even resulted in petty hair pulling while she wildly thrashed her arms trying to scratch me.
  He developed a facial infection after being scratched by a rose thorn.
  She told me that, without any warning, the cat had jumped on her, scratched her, and bitten her in the right arm.
  Wambach's skin had been scratched and bruised in several places.
  The black-haired boy looked as if he had died and come back to life - his lips were dry and cut, he had a black eye, and his cheek was scratched badly.
  Curious, she looked at her arms, they too were scratched and bruised, but only slightly.
  The branches were scratching the two men's arms as they went through the woods, one dragging the other.
  His face was scratched and his robe was stained with crimson.
  Their hair was messy, their clothes were ripped, their skin was dirty and scratched, and their eyes were dulled by the expression of misery.
  In a minor scuffle with a thief, the colleague is wounded when a fellow passenger scratches him accidentally.
  Other weeds, including sand bur and thistle, can also scratch and irritate your skin.
  Synonyms
  graze, scrape, abrade, rasp, skin, rub raw, cut, lacerate, bark, chafe, strip, flay, wound
  technical excoriate
2. 1.2 Rub (a part of one's body) with one's fingernails to relieve itching.
  搔痒
  Jessica lifted her sunglasses and scratched her nose
  杰西卡抬了抬太阳镜揉揉鼻子。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The more you thought about not scratching it, the worse it itched.
  He could not walk, talk, lift his arms, feed himself or scratch himself.
  ‘No,’ said I scratching my shoulder and looking over at Poppy, my most excellent beagle, who was trying to catch a bumble bee.
  He just nodded and looked out the window while scratching his lower/inner arm.
  ‘For the Love of Any Patron Saint that's in the area and available,’ said I, taking my hat off my head and scratching my forehead.
  ‘Uh, yea,’ Mark said scratching the back of his neck and walking closer to me.
  Mark scratched the back of his head, a sure sign he was trying to come up with something to say.
  I was itchy, but as soon as I would scratch my arms they would hurt like I had bruised them.
  He is scratching his chin as he considers the question.
  He unfolded his arms, and the landlord flinched in terror, but the hradani merely scratched his chin thoughtfully.
  But even though I've stopped scratching it, it still hasn't healed.
  ‘All done,’ he said happily, scratching his nose and laving a grease stain on the tip of it.
  Huck itches all over and tries not to scratch himself so he doesn't make any noise.
  I'm just scratching your back to make you feel more comfortable, " I explained.
  As he stood scratching his belly, dragging long sharp nails through the thin fur there, he decided that a simple favor was needed.
  Then it started on my face and some other parts of my body which you cannot scratch in public.
  My arms were around her waist, so I scratched her lower back softly.
  "Yeah, " Brandon nodded, absently scratching his ear.
  She relaxed a bit, and lightly scratched her chin.
  Yawning, the teenage girl reached to scratch her neck, and felt the marks left there on her vein.
  Synonyms
  rub, claw (at), scrape, tear at
3. 1.3with object and adverbial Make (a mark or hole) by scoring a surface with a sharp or pointed object.
  刮擦
  I found two names scratched on one of the windowpanes
  我发现其中一面窗玻璃上刻着两个名字。
  Example sentencesExamples
  She ran her hand against the steel plated walls and crouched down to see writings that had been scratched into the metal, probably with a knife.
  To determine whether the liposomes spread onto the DPPA surface as a monolayer or bilayer, a defect was scratched into the lipid surface.
  Using a sharp instrument, Verster then draws and scratches patterns and images into this surface, revealing the strata of yellow beneath.
  A large red heart with the figure of a female nude scratched on the surface, was a favourite of his fiancée and was painted shortly after he met her.
  After being air-dried, an awl or pointed stick could be used to scratch a simple design into the surface.
  Jamali also paints on cork, mixing pigments and scratching imagery onto the surface with sticks and his fingernails.
  He scratched his name into the silica surface in a popular act of vandalism.
  Each seal has a series of lines of varying orientations scratched into its inside surface.
  Most often, the entire presentation surface of a redware object was covered with white slip, and a design was then scratched into the surface.
  Spread the fertilizer evenly around the plants and scratch it into the soil surface.
  A while ago, while in Northern Ireland, I saw someone had scratched the name INLA into the wood of a door in a stall.
  Engraving is done by scratching a drawing with a sharp tool on a metal sheet and then making a print from the scratched lines.
  Returning on his own, he discovers a cellar scratched from the earth and covered with corrugated iron.
  Pictures of hunters were painted or scratched on cave walls all over the world.
4. 1.4 Write (something) hurriedly or awkwardly.
  （匆忙或笨拙地）写
  Example sentencesExamples
  Then one of us scratched out some notes, the other one picked it up and ran with it a few more paces and, in the fullness of time, an essay emerged.
  I grabbed a pen and scratched down ‘goodbye’ on a napkin.
  Yes, a dark-haired, humanly-dressed faerie was dragging the pen back and forth, scratching out words onto the paper.
  Andrew nodded, tore a page out of the sketch book in his pocket and scratched out his number with a stumpy pencil hooked in the books ring binder.
  Returning when she needed to the ink well, she scratched out her scribbling in a fine script that even the most cultured hand would envy.
  He held out the paper again, so I hurriedly scratched my name on his dotted line.
  Then, driven by whatever strange spirit possesses them, they begin monitoring speed, distance and trajectory, scratching their findings into notebooks.
  The entire bus ride, I scratched out the most scathing letter.
  He went on marking things down on his clipboard, violently scratching a multitude of checks and notations onto the paper.
  Near the end of the book with its empty gaping pages and neat writing was a verse scratched out with red pen.
  She scratched out a note with a slightly shaky hand, folded it, and attached it to the leather straps tied to the skytyr's foot.
  Hawksblade chuckled as he read the next line scratched out in ink.
  Every time I took a 20-minute break from the books, I scratched out a few lines of code.
  They love to crunch numbers and scratch out mock drafts on legal pads at work.
  All it took was a few plays scratched out on Bowden's legal pad.
  Then the woman scratched out a note and placed it beneath the glass of water at his bedside.
  Lissie looked down at the poem she'd been scratching down.
  In fury Beethoven scratched out the dedication at the betrayal of his ideals.
  James watched as the good doctor scratched out a quick report on some looseleaf.
  He scratched out his first poem while taking a break from failing a thermodynamics exam, on which he receive a nine out of a possible one hundred.
5. 1.5with object and adverbial Remove (something) from something else by pulling a sharp implement over it.
  刮去
  he scratched away the plaster
  他刮去了石膏。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Cleanup crews watched in horror as otters scratched out their own eyes to rid them of oil.
  The lines have been scratched out using a needle, on a canvas smeared with oil colours.
  No way did I want my eyes scratched out by those freshly manicured nails.
6. 1.6no object Make a rasping or grating noise by scraping something over a hard surface.
  发出刮擦声
  the dog scratched to be let in
  狗嚓嚓地扒门想进去。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Down here is all darkness, the only sound the slur of rain in the dirt, water rats scratching inside the walls.
  Its huge feet and long legs kept up with her easily, its clawed hands were stretched out ready to grab her, scratching against the walls, making a spine shilling noise.
  While assassins approached the tent, Pompey began barking and scratching to warn his master, finally jumping on William's face to wake him.
  Yes, something was behind the vent, scratching to get out.
  There was a sound of claws scratching against stone, then a heavy thud.
  Your cat scratches at the door after being fed.
  Activists did not consider it Scottish enough and chose a new logo featuring a lion apparently scratching at a red door.
  It really is quite remarkable the way in which those cute little white paws can convey such anger and indignation when they are scratching relentlessly on one's bedroom door.
  The dog scratched and padded around the place and pushed his dish across the kitchen floor tiles.
  I wolfed it, famished, while cats scratched at gaps in the floorboards and invisible mice.
  If the cat is scratching at the door and meowing to be let out, just ignore him.
  His fingernails scraped, scratched at the doorknob with urgency.
  She scratches at the wall but it doesn't sound the same.
  The dogs, now deprived of their warm and huddled sleep at the foot of Matty's bed, spent the nights scratching and sniffing at the back door, whining to be let in.
  If the fact that their kitten was scratching and meowing to come into my place is anything to go by, it's not pretty.
  On the deck below Maria heard the poor dog scratching at the wooden planks anxiously.
  We heard scratching behind the kitchen units three nights ago.
  A dog howled at the door and then started scratching furiously at the door, as a screeching grew louder.
  One extremely large creature traveled up inside the wall, and took up residence directly over our bed, scratching and keeping us awake each night.
  It seemed to have been a bird scratching at her window.
7. 1.7no object (of a bird or mammal, especially a chicken) rake the ground with the beak or claws in search of food.
  （鸟、哺乳动物，尤指鸡）用嘴（或爪子）扒地找食物
  the hens cannot do anything that comes naturally to them, such as scratch around
  Example sentencesExamples
  The only things living were a sow, her piglets, and some hens scratching in the dirt.
  By the halfway mark of our stay, I took to wandering down to the stables to count the remaining ducks scratching around in the straw and ensure there was no danger of a supply crisis before we left.
  In the chiaroscuro of this place of offering, figured with the wax and soot of burned candles, a chicken scratches near a sacrificial stone.
  As they talked, one of his chickens scratched up a coin that the young Swede recognised (so he says) as bearing the head of the Emperor Augustus.
  The man still thinks in terms of animal manure and chickens scratching in the yard.
  Ideally they would have a movable coup or ark that can be put on a patch of soil where the birds will scratch around eating every pest, as well as most weeds - and also fertilising the soil.
  People are bargaining, arguing, gossiping; dogs are bickering, chickens scratching in the dirt.
  When it hatched, it grew up like other chickens, picking and scratching for food.
  Throwing scratch grain around will get the hens scratching, which will fluff up the bedding and keep it well mixed.
  She could here the birds scratching at the ground outside her tent, the leaves on on the tree by the door blowing in the brisk wind.
  These birds didn't even scratch the ground for food, practicing normal foraging behavior.
  You'll feel a smug warmth every time you pass a broiler chicken house and think of your own happy, healthy poultry scratching in the dust at home.
  They can scratch in the ground and eat seeds and bugs as well as their regular chicken feed.
  Several chickens scratched about outside what appeared to be a chicken coop.
  Hens enjoy scratching, preening and dustbathing and the deep straw covered floor encourages these social activities.
  I looked at a few hens scratching in the grit at the hut's door.
  Typically feeding on the ground, they uncover food by scratching with their feet or digging with their bills.
  She lowered her head and scratched in the dirt with her horn.
  Chickens scratched in the company of a stately, gruff-voiced, very respectable pig, rooting under a walnut tree.
8. 1.8scratch forno object Search for (someone or something that is hard to locate or find)
  寻觅（难找的人或物）
  he's still scratching around for a woman to share his life
  他还在四处寻找可以与其共同生活的女人。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Look for the team to get better at scratching for runs with bunts and the hit-and-run.
  Sometimes you have to grind out a result and we did that, we fought and scratched for it.
  Since it struck in the early '80s, researchers have scratched for a vaccine or a cure but in vain.
  I don't imagine them scratching for similes or phrasing and rephrasing until each sentence sings.
  The Caribbean has been scratching for its economic niche for a long time.
  When journalists were scratching for stories, the Greens’ drug policy was all but a godsend.
  This sudden reduction in wealth should leave more than a few folks scratching for cash and looking to sell property.
  Will this project encourage the creation of new and original art; or will it simply boost the local economy and leave artists scratching for the remaining crumbs?
  Even their own publicity department was scratching for things to say.
  Improvident tax cuts by state legislatures and faltering investment returns have left educational institutions, both public and private, scratching for every nickel and dime.
  They're certain they're doing good work but they're scratching for funding.
  We didn't end up finding anything for him - I was scratching for suggestions, trying to get him thinking.
  But on a slow news day, when you're scratching around for something to fill the bulletin with, you decide to turn the shoddy release into 20 seconds of copy.
  You're scratching for things to do outside of the actual working part of the day.
  He is going to be in your face, pushing the norm, scratching for revenues, defying you to slap him down and shut him up.
  She understands she's been an attractive target for journalists scratching for the next headline.
  Developers are expected to be able to dig and scratch for information.
  Synonyms
  search, hunt (around), cast about/around/round, rummage (around), forage (about), poke around/about, scrabble, grub about/around, root (around), scavenge, fish about/around, rake around, feel around, grope (around), nose around/about/round, ferret (about/around)
9. 1.9 Accomplish (something) with great effort or difficulty.
  奋力完成
  Tabitha wondered how long the woman had been scratching a living on the waterways
  塔比瑟不知道那个女人已经靠这条水道坚持生活多久了。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The Mariners and the Tigers scratch out their runs with bunts, strings of hits and a willingness to move the runners.
  I know they've scratched out two wins in a row, but we feel confident in ourselves.
  Gradually the West Mayo team got a foothold and they scratched out three points before the break to give themselves a chance.
  He may not have felt so desperate if poverty hadn't forced him into exile: illegal, paralysed, scratching a living for the smallest slice of pie.
  Hendley held out hope the rest of the night that the Cubs might scratch out a run, but saw those hopes diminish rapidly as Koufax got stronger and stronger.
  From nowhere, she started scratching out a reasonable living.
  The Redskins have been in the play-offs just once since Gibbs left and have scratched out one winning season since 1997.
  Now it's six years later and he is scratching a living predicting sports results.
  Only if you were born and brought up unbeknown to the world in the darkness of deepest Dalby Forest, scratching a living from the land would you be truly a non-person.
  The general impression one gets is that Morse accepts the persistent stereotype of the solitary miner scratching out a meager existence largely on his own.
  The rare few that still survived clung on at the edge of society, scratching a living from what little they could find in their woodland domains.
  Many cities were said to be turning into ghost towns, with some five to seven million people living precariously on the breadline, scratching out an existence from one day to the next.
  Failing to scratch out a run against a starter such as Kip Wells is much different than what happened Sunday.
  Fifty per cent of Madagascar's population earn less than one US dollar per year, scratching a living from the parched red earth or feeding themselves by fishing.
  Keep the Twins close and hope their teammates scratch out enough runs to win.
  Oldham continue to scratch out wins - can they keep it going all season or will their luck change?
  Residents scratch out a living amid blocks of abandoned, boarded up, burned-out row houses and vacant warehouses.
  We think that our people were made for better things than scratching a living from tourism.
  The band still had to deal with the problem of coming off the payroll and switching from playing large venues to rolling round the club circuit, scratching a living.
  As late as the 1850s, people scratched out a bare existence by soaking up surface oil from springs around Oil Creek in Pennsylvania.
  Synonyms
  scrape, scratch, scrimp
10. 1.10scratch alongno object Make a living with difficulty.
  艰难生活
  many architects now scratch along doing loft conversions
  现在许多建筑师靠改建阁楼维持生计。
  Example sentencesExamples
  He was working ‘for those toiling and unemployed millions who do not get even a square meal a day and have to scratch along with a piece of stale roti and a pinch of salt.’
  A few of them earn quite well, but most scratch along putting in long hours and earning no more than average wages.
2with object Cancel or strike out (writing) with a pen or pencil.
划掉
the name of Dr McNab was scratched out and that of Dr Dunstaple substituted
麦克纳布博士的名字被划掉了，代替他的是登斯特布尔博士。
Example sentencesExamples
- It's full of marks and words that are scratched out here and there.
- Nerissa shrugged in return as she scratched out whatever it had been that she'd been drawing.
- It had over a dozen different words written on it and all were scratched out except for the last.
- It is an explanation consistent with the typing of his name on the deed only to be scratched out and Adam's name written in.
- The postcard itself has a postmark from 1958 and has some writing on it which is still visible, even though violently scratched out.
- Someone, however, scratched out ‘Briefing Room’ with a large black marker.
- This really was not a document that could be just quickly scratched out and rewritten.
- This guy then scratched out his name on the script and put down his girlfriend's name.
- Forthworth took a pen out of his pocket, and scratched out the part about sustaining life.
- Underneath, ineptly scratched out, three telltale words are still discernible: ‘Made in Taiwan’.
- The rest I put back into their boxes, scratched out my address and replaced it with theirs, and sent them off.
- Her name had been scratched out and all the evidence of her reign was deposited in one location.
- I borrowed the nametag keeper's pen and scratched out as much of the name on the tag as I could, attempting to replace it with my actual, real name.
- I furiously scratched out what I had just written in the notebook, and replaced it with more than just a few malicious thoughts.
- Later, when they checked his wallet, they found that he had scratched out his address in his passport and any other details that would have helped them contact his family.
- She - I assumed it was a she - had scratched out the original name and put her own name in its place.
- She scratched out that box and ticked the third one as the more accurate.
- Possessed only of his passport, from which he scratched out his home address, Kahn remained unidentified for several days in the city morgue.
- I scoffed as Cale jotted down one line beneath the twenty scratched out ones.
- He scratched out the notes on the paper he had made and began to write new ones.
Synonyms
cross out, strike out, score out, delete, erase, remove, strike off, eliminate, cancel, expunge, obliterate
1. 2.1 Withdraw (a competitor) from a competition.
  取消（选手）参赛资格
  Jolie's Halo was scratched from a minor stakes race at Monmouth Park
  若利的哈罗被取消了参加蒙茅斯公园少年下赌注马赛的资格。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Jeter was the starter in last year's All-Star Game at Turner Field, but only because Rodriguez had to be scratched from the game due to injury.
  Wells suffered a strained left groin muscle during a May 23 start at Toronto and was scratched from his next outing.
  May was able to pitch but was scratched because of a renewed muscle tweak.
  Subsequent bulletins were upbeat but a muscle problem would not dissipate and, a further ten days later, Yeats was scratched from the Derby.
  Alabama Stakes winner Island Fashion was one of five fillies scratched from the race.
  Last year French was banned from racing for two years and scratched from Olympic competition for life.
  Garcia was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to the injuries he sustained on his left hand, but will be available later in the series.
  McKee thought he would play in the next game, but Ruff scratched him again.
  Some will be scratched; others will play through the pain.
  The German was branded a cheat and scratched from that year's drivers' championship for unsportsmanlike conduct.
  Speedy Punta, a six-year-old gelding by Punta Arenas, was tested on course and scratched from his intended race.
  He was scratched from the lineup yesterday and was walking stiffly as the result of having his neck and back taped up.
  Injuries have played a part - he was scratched from a start earlier this week with a sore right shoulder.
  Two of the original four West Virginia-breds were scratched from the event.
  She was scratched out of Friday's Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill in favor of Saturday's race.
  Failure to play before the deadline may result in both players being scratched from the competition without notice.
  Shine Again is a half sister to four-year-old Shiny Band, who was scratched from the First Flight.
  The committee have decided that players who have not played the games by that date will be automatically scratched from the competition.
  The club can afford to be careful with RHP Jason Schmidt, who was scratched from his start Sunday because of elbow tendinitis.
  The match was abandoned, Palmeiras-B was scratched from the tournament by IFA and the title went to the city giant.
  Synonyms
  withdraw, pull out (of), back out (of), bow out (of), stand down, give up, leave, quit
2. 2.2no object (of a competitor) withdraw from a competition.
  取消（选手）参赛资格
  due to a knee injury she was forced to scratch from the race
  由于膝盖受伤，她不得不退出比赛。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Only four of the original 15 entrants scratched out of the race, which was contested over a muddy track.
  Only seven older fillies and mares contested the Eatontown after six entrants scratched from the race, run over a soft turf course.
  He scratched too from an exhibition match after the ladies final of the US Open.
  Both silver medalists at the Athens Olympics have had to scratch from their event.
  He advanced to the semi-finals in the former and to the finals in the latter, then scratched from both events in order to focus on other upcoming swims.
3. 2.3 Cancel or abandon (an undertaking or project)
  取消；放弃（任务，项目）
  banks seem prepared to scratch stabilization charges
  银行似乎准备放弃稳值收费。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Wednesday's launch was scratched because of a reading of low current from a battery system on the rocket's second stage.
  York RI will also play a fixture originally scratched because of poor weather when they travel to Northallerton in Yorkshire Three.
  Actually, scratch that, it sounds too much like we live in a lost and found shoebox.
  Oh wait scratch that I do plan ahead.
  Synonyms
  call off, abandon, scrap, drop
3no object Play a record using the scratch technique.
he raps and scratches simultaneously to dazzling effect
See scratch (sense 2 of the noun)
Example sentencesExamples
- While the concept is a good one, Swift over-emphasizes breaks and scratching at the expense of vocals and harmonies.
- Beginning with DJ Olive's wavering synthetic tones, shouts, drums and scratching follow to form a sonic melee with an appreciable sense of forward motion.
- Young people are invited to attend workshops and master classes in everything from graffiti art to hip-hop and urban dance to scratching and break dancing.
- The act consists of three men dressed in tails and armed with violins bow in synch with turntable scratching.
- If your composition involves scratching and sampling, all to the good.
- The group's music policy is a mixture of funk, hip hop and 80s disco blended with scratching and a touch of Latin, house and techno.
- Shakespearean rhyming couplets have been adapted for rap with an on-stage DJ scratching, beatboxing and grooving right along with the performers.
- It was using a sample that sounded somewhere between vinyl scratching and cool drum beats.
- I'm chopping up and scratching more - it's like I'm a new DJ again.
- Instead, Teeba does his talking with his turntables, scratching with great dexterity and impeccable rhythmic flair.
- In fact, there is more scratching on this CD than on any I have heard in recent years.
- Photography became the snapshot and photo album; newspapers became fuel for fanzines, and the vinyl record became a tool for scratching and sampling.
- I was also mesmerised by scratching once I got decks at 17, so I was just away in my room experimenting.
- The combo of bongo drums and some sharp scratching from DJ Kilmore was pretty impressive.
- The Tory leader had a go at scratching and mixing on record decks when he visited the Fusion Project to talk to young people.
- It's got scratching, it's got acoustic guitars.
- She lets each song breathe, adding in conga solos, DJ scratching and trumpets from her tightly synched seven-member band.
- The album, which mixes rap lyrics, hip-hop beats, scratching, samples and live guitar, is now available to local people.
- When I work with Obscure, I try to think of what can be done with scratching on this record that hasn't been done before.
- Much has been made of his ability to make his toggle switch sound like a DJ scratching.

noun skratʃskrætʃ

1A mark or wound made by scratching.
划伤，擦伤
the scratches on her arm were throbbing
她手臂上的划伤阵阵抽痛。
Example sentencesExamples
- These scratch marks, which resemble fine brown hairs, are always located on the upper third of the flower.
- Scratch marks will usually go away one or two weeks after treatment.
- The black scuff marks and smaller scratches left last Friday night don't bother me as much - they're merely cosmetic.
- If the flooring has spillage marks or deep scratches then get these attended to as quickly as possible.
- We had to apply it liberally on all wounds, even minor scratches and mosquito bites.
- Which card is more likely to be marked by nicks and scratches on its edges?
- This speed assures elimination of swirl marks and scratches in the wood.
- Conjunctivitis may also occur due to allergies or from a scratch on the surface of the eye.
- The films are not well preserved, so there are plenty of scratches and burn marks, and dirt on the prints.
- His black shirt was torn, leaving her with a good look at his chest, filled with scratches and wounds.
- Jodi had several scratches on her arms and, Vaughn assumed, on her legs as well.
- With scratches and flaws marking up the picture, I'm sad to report that this picture is sub-par.
- Her fingers brushed against the smooth glass of the jewel and she withdrew it, carefully inspecting it for chips or scratches.
- He assured me that no-one will ever notice the small scratch mark he was able to make.
- Any scratch, dent or mark, however little, is taken note of and fixed.
- My knees were bruised from tripping, and my arms and legs had scratches from tree branches that reached as far as they could to grab travelers.
- Her arms were covered in scratches and there was one extremely deep one that was still seeping some blood.
- Traditional machines have individual grinding heads that travel in their own radius, leaving scratches or permanent marks.
- Notice the puncture marks, scratches and big gash all the way to the lower right
- Because granite is melted rock, it has uniform properties, which makes it quite hard and resistant to scratches.
Synonyms
score, mark, line, abrasion, scrape, scuff, laceration, groove, gash, gouge
1. 1.1informal in singular A slight or insignificant wound or injury.
  〈非正式〉轻伤
  it's nothing—just a scratch
  没什么-一点擦伤。
  Example sentencesExamples
  A driver who escaped without a scratch when his car plunged 50 feet down a moorland ravine has told of his amazing escape.
  My husband and daughter died instantly, but the truck driver came out without a scratch.
  He later crashed one of his planes at Victoria River Downs Station but walked away from it without a scratch.
  I spent a year in Vietnam and came home without a scratch.
  The men advance towards her and she single-handedly knocks all of them to the ground escaping without a scratch.
  Not too many people have their motorcycles ripped out from under them at 65 mph, in heavy traffic, and escape without a scratch.
  Thankfully this man was apprehended safely and all the officers were able to walk away without a scratch.
  Fry emerged from the incident without a scratch, but the concussion of the explosion was felt some 2,000 feet away, at the starting line.
  The plan was to find her and bring her back without a scratch.
  Have you ever been in an accident where you should've been hurt, even killed- and came out with only small injuries, or without a scratch?
  In the fight with the police officer, Will, he had gotten hurt more than a slight bit while Will didn't have a scratch on him.
  Year after year, however, millions of people enjoy themselves outdoors and return home without a scratch.
  In fact, he leaves the accident without a scratch on him.
  He got out of it without a scratch, but the car was totalled, and it was a hundred and something thousand dollars worth of car.
  But if I'd had to, I could have driven three times that long and gotten both of us out of there without a scratch.
  She then proceeded to spend a homeless night in strange surroundings out in the cold before being found, without a scratch on her, by her worried owners.
  The newspapers were filled with images of people buried in rubble, yet walking away without a scratch.
  Dozens of rounds of ammo, bombs and even cannonballs are fired at the trio, yet don't produce one scratch.
  However, people in movies routinely jump through plate glass windows without receiving a single scratch.
  She told them she was fine; that she'd only gotten a scratch.
  Synonyms
  graze, scrape, abrasion, cut, laceration, wound
2. 1.2in singular An act or spell of scratching oneself to relieve itching.
  搔痒
  he gave his scalp a good scratch
  他使劲地挠头皮。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Truman meowed again and accepted the offered scratch behind the ears with great appreciation.
  His tweed cap was removed only occasionally, and only long enough for a frustrated head scratch.
  The women resume their conversation and the dogs, no longer interested in each other have a scratch or look for more interesting smells to divert their attention.
  When you've got an itch on your back you'll do anything for a scratch and there's not much in the ocean to rub against.
  I gave Wilma one last scratch behind the ear, and I ran downstairs.
  I picked up the paper clip as my mind told me ‘Just one little scratch wont hurt.’
  She joked, reaching down to give the beast a scratch behind the ears.
3. 1.3 A rasping or grating noise produced by something rubbing against a hard surface.
  发出刮擦声
  the scratch of a match lighting a cigarette
  划着火柴点烟。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Acoustic and seismic listening device: extremely sensitive tool which can hear the slightest tap or scratch of a trapped person.
  George on the camera is a genius and Frank on sound could make a chalk scratch on a blackboard sound like music.
  The same answer came and the scratch of a pen followed.
  The only other noises were the scratches of the rats claws as they helped themselves to whatever was stored in their sanctuary.
  A few moments later I heard the scratch of a match against a striker, then smelled the sweet acrid aroma of marijuana.
  The last ten minutes were silent broken only by the scratch of a pencil.
  It was just a scratch on the door, a muffled noise, and a little flashlight waving at the end of the hall.
  He could hear the scratch of her pencil, and the air moving past the car.
  Maybe it was fifteen minutes later when the scratch at the flimsy door disturbed us.
  I then heard the scratch of a match against its box.
  There was a scratch at the door and the butler announced another visitor.
  On the recording, however, I keep hearing the surreptitious scratch of a lighter.
  Embedded within Pole's framework of clicks, snaps and scratches are subtle yet absorbing layers of sound.
  A moment later we heard the unmistakable scratch of the front door closing, and the quiet start of an engine.
  You need the right song to remix because there are certain ones that aren't constructed to add bleeps, scratches or a constant thumping bass line.
  First came the sound of voices outside, a familiar chitter of laughter, then the scratch at the door.
  Beeps, clicks and scratches run underneath - and alongside - strings, stand-up bass and a variety of percussion.
  She was still holding the book and just staring at it when a scratch sounded at the door.
  She crawled back into bed when she heard a scratch at her bedroom door.
  Synonyms
  grate, grating, creak, creaking, grind, grinding, jar, jarring, rasp, rasping, scratching, rub, rubbing, squeak, squeaking, screech, screeching
4. 1.4mass noun A rough hiss, caused by the friction of the stylus in the groove, heard when a record is played.
  唱片的嚓嚓声（指唱片纹道与唱针的摩擦噪声）
  Example sentencesExamples
  Yes, they were free from the scratches, clicks and pops that plagued records, but otherwise perfect they weren't.
  For all that we now quest for absolute fidelity in recordings, I like the comforting scratch of an old record.
  The sound quality is fine, much as it was on the original LPs - minus the surface noise and scratches, however.
  The scratches and surface noise of Jeck's vinyl further emphasise this notion.
2mass noun A technique, used especially in rap music, of stopping a record by hand and moving it back and forwards to give a rhythmic scratching effect.
刮擦（多用于快板乐中，用手制止唱片转动，使其来回移动发出有节奏的嚓嚓声的技巧）
as modifier a scratch mix
Example sentencesExamples
- Jill Scott opens the disc, crooning over a hip-hop bassline and vinyl scratches.
- No need to say a little prayer for local hip hop DJ and scratch vet Raf Kerwin, aka D.R. One, because he's doing just fine on his own.
- With the scratch specialist Picklez gone, there opened a vacancy for the world's top turntablist crew.
- Do you find it hard to beat juggle and scratch as opposed to blending the records to entertain the crowds?
- Talented DJ's have their own style and Q-Bert is a scratch DJ.
- I know every single scratch, every beat, every scream from the crowd.
- With an intro that's absolute insane scratch work, Flow maintains a feverish and surprisingly melodic tempo throughout the set.
- Many of the songs are laced with clever hip hop asides and contain every conceivable type of bleep, scratch and vocal distortion known to nu-metal man.
- There's also rock, funk and turntable scratches thrown in for good measure.
- Many amazing comments come from a remarkably sane Genesis P-Orridge while Carl Craig sums up turntablism perfectly as Kid Koala gets his scratch on.
- From the first scratch to the last, this album is dope.
- Anyone acquainted with the world of the scratch DJ will understand that it is manly in the way that Hobbyland is manly.
- Joining them as musical director is local scratch wizard DJ Pocket, who provides a wide mash of musical styles and obscure sounds.
- Julie is not just a DJ, but a scratch DJ.
- Hip Hop and Jazz tunes were superbly mixed with turntable scratch and an infectious piano line that dictate the film's progression.
- He turns up the volume as far as it will go and drags his nail over the microphone, pushing the medium to its limits with a sort of scratch sound.
3mass noun (in sport) the starting point in a race for a competitor that is not given a handicap or advantage.
a 631-metres handicap, when the excellent stayer, Too Fast, will be off scratch
Example sentencesExamples
- Faced with having to give them a head-start of 7, he called it evens and had them starting at scratch instead.
- Start and scratch is 6.45 pm, with venues to be announced at a later date.
1. 3.1Golf A handicap of zero, indicating that a player is good enough to achieve par on a course.
  〔高尔夫〕零让步（表明选手不弱，能在场上达到规定击球的次数）
  he plays off scratch in University golf
  Example sentencesExamples
  But having reached a handicap of scratch by the age of 16, the US college student decided his future lay on the fairways and not the football park.
  He went part-time at Springfield Park, where he works in the shop, to concentrate on his game and has reduced his ranking to scratch.
  The others are to play for the county girls and seniors and get my handicap down from six to scratch.
  Little Amy, 13, who receives England ‘birdie’ training, wants to get down to scratch.
  I aim to get my handicap down to scratch by the end of next year.
4informal mass noun Money.
〈非正式〉钱
he was working to get some scratch together
他正在干活攒钱。
Example sentencesExamples
- As for material resources, some bloggers are now able to earn some scratch, but this is an effect rather than a cause of their success.
- A guy could have quite the weekend in Vegas with that kind of scratch.
- Many owners suspect, of course, that as the refs demand full-time wages, their true plan is to take the added scratch and keep the other jobs anyway.
- The film makes it very clear that, without some scratch, there is no influence and very little indiscriminate sex.
- By '99 they saved up enough scratch to record a full-length album, Rock and Roll Port Three.
- The upside is that with so much freelance work crammed into a short amount of time, it will bring in a fair amount of scratch.
- I'm a grad student right now, so I don't have a lot of scratch to work with.
- Unfortunately, the good mayor's policy of using municipal scratch to buy staff birthday goodies and Christmas presents has also faded into the tundra.
- I've done some columns, I've had some freelance gigs, and Smith has gotten me some scratch working for the Internet site.
- The film debut was still a bright spot this weekend and the film will likely sweep up some decent scratch over the coming weeks.
- The singer plans to make some serious scratch overseas doing promotional work.
Synonyms
cash, hard cash, ready money

adjective skratʃskrætʃ

1attributive Assembled or made from whatever is available, and so unlikely to be of the highest quality.
仓促拼凑的；匆匆组成的
City were fielding a scratch squad
城市队派遣上场的是一支临时凑合的球队。
Example sentencesExamples
- He is, he says, not remotely put off by the ease with which a scratch side with ‘no gameplan and a smattering of hangovers’ dismantled Scotland on Thursday night.
- A scratch crew from the rest of current affairs had to do the job instead.
- As a lad in Clifton in York, others recalled how he had insisted everyone wore white for scratch cricket matches.
- An allconquering Trinity side from the 1970s is to be pitted against a scratch team of young hopefuls.
- As a result of a threatened boycott by the former dictator's defence team, the trial may have to take place with a scratch team of lawyers appointed by the court itself.
- Lown bowls weekly in a scratch league at the Gold Coast in Las Vegas and carried a 189 average last season.
- Captain Phillips was not aboard for her last voyage in 1984, which was with a scratch crew taking her to be scrapped.
- Glass was taking courses at KU, so he joined a scratch league at the student union.
- There followed a scurry round to assemble a scratch team, kit them up, organise travel arrangements etc.
- Unfortunately, however, the year 2000 saw the demise of what has been known as the most influential scratch crew ever.
- And then he did it again, leading the scratch platoon he had formed on to its objective.
- After a blistering start, the scratch group of riders caught the rest of the field with two laps to go.
- Bringing up the rear of the field was scratch man John Pearson.
- The UK's greatest scratch DJ crew will bring two hours of the finest UK and US hip hop with incredible turntable skills.
- Bath took the game to the Italians with a scratch squad and did so with such determination that there was never any argument about this result.
- With the pitch already booked but no one to play, word reached the Lashings pub, where a scratch team was hastily put together among staff and regulars.
2attributive (of a sports competitor or event) with no handicap given.
（选手，赛事）没有让步优待的
he was a scratch player at many courses
Example sentencesExamples
- He has won most of the honours that the game has to offer and in his prime was almost a scratch player.
- But it's his sense of humour that shines through, and he brings that to the very serious world of scratch masters.
- He was a scratch player at 12 and had a stellar international record as an amateur.
- I won't get the benefit of those eighteen shots because it is a scratch event but at least I could make an attempt at qualifying.
- She joined Clitheroe Golf Club at the age of eight and became a scratch golfer three weeks after her 16th birthday.
- Other notables were Mick, who talked the golf crew through 18 holes of scratch golf.
- A scratch golfer who mixes freely with professionals in that game, McGwire is a good judge of what he sees and hears around the circuit.
- It doesn't matter if you're a duffer or a scratch golfer, there are a wide variety of courses with unique layouts and challenges for golfers of all skill levels.
- He was also an avid golfer and as long as most can remember was close to being a scratch player.
- Ludwell went on to become a scratch golfer and made many appearances for Yorkshire.
- But look at the difference between a 9-handicapper and a scratch golfer.
- Although the event is scratch matchplay, Air Force golfers on handicaps up to 18 are encouraged to nominate.
- She knows if it wasn't for the support of her parents she would not be a scratch golfer now contemplating the possibility of turning professional.
- How difficult, while still being fair, is the course for the scratch player from the back tees?
- Lount, who has been a member at Pike Hills for eight years and first played in the Yorkshire Order of Merit in 2002, is now a scratch golfer but has no plans to turn professional.
- Paul, who is already a scratch golfer, is the grandson of well-known Newbridge man Tommy O Hanlon.
- On Sunday a minor/intermediate scratch cup takes place.
- I never ever did beat Jonno off a scratch event, but Harry used to make sure that Jon always gave me a start and I'd get the best out of myself by trying to stay in front.
- Some of us may never be able to hit the ball as accurately, powerfully or consistently as a scratch player, but with work, we can realistically hope to putt like one.
- There is a massive difference between being a scratch golfer at home and playing the difficult courses from the back tees!

Phrases

from scratch

From the very beginning, especially without making use of or relying on any previous work for assistance.
从零开始，从头做起；白手起家
he built his own computer company from scratch
他白手起家，建起了自己的电脑公司。
Example sentencesExamples
- The two of them wrote the show from scratch, ensured they got all the best lines and threw in deft ad-libs as required.
- The idea is to start from scratch and make the best use of the site.
- I have never had any general fight training, so each time I have to wield a weapon I start from scratch.
- It takes three years for a farmer to develop a bamboo plantation from scratch.
- Mr Khan built up his company from scratch and now employs more than 20 people.
- Erase everything on the computer's hard drive and start over from scratch.
- Native programmers are used to support or maintain current systems, not to produce new ones from scratch.
- It is a direct reversal of the previous policy where SAS would build its own tools from scratch.
- This would give it a cheaper entry to the market, although it would have to start from scratch in building a customer base.
- They tested the time it took to mix a cake from a packet and from scratch and the home baked one took only 10 minutes longer.

scratch a — and find a —

Used to suggest that an investigation of someone or something soon reveals their true nature.
指揭露某人或某事真面目的调查除去…的假象你将发现…的本质
he had been taught to believe “scratch a pious man and find a hypocrite.”

scratch one's head

1informal Think hard in order to find a solution to something.
〈非正式〉冥思苦想问题的解答
winemakers are scratching their heads for an alternative term
Example sentencesExamples
- The first big betting race of the year come our way this weekend when the Pierse Hurdle will again draw a big field and have punters scratching their heads to find the winner.
- Purists in the audience were observed scratching their heads, trying to figure out a way to appreciate the ‘exotic’ composition.
- A greedy otter has left a Preston grandfather scratching his head for a solution to stop the animal slinking into his pond to eat his fish.
- Still scratching your head over holiday gift ideas for that special someone on your list?
- The shop is not selling the album until staff have a better idea of what they've got, but it's not the first time they've found themselves scratching their heads over a potential vinyl windfall.
- After scratching my head for a bit I realized when she wrote site your sources, what she really meant was ‘Please write the title of Samuel Seabury's pamphlet when you refer to it.’
- When next we head to the polls, I may find myself scratching my head in search of a political party that might be worthy of my support.
- Local school board members in Charlotte County are left scratching their heads, wondering how they will fit the class into an already full day.
- You're probably scratching your head even harder wondering why Merrill Lynch is talking about the impact that acquiring Red Hat may or may not have on Sun.
- I spent a few hours scratching my head and looking for a cryptic code which might shed light on where this maverick genius is getting his ideas from.
Synonyms
think hard, put one's mind to something, give much thought to something, concentrate, try to remember, puzzle over something, cudgel one's brains, furrow one's brow
1. 1.1Feel or express bewilderment.
  感到（或表示）困惑
  art lovers have been left scratching their heads over an exhibition of kissing toothbrushes
  Example sentencesExamples
  Here it is, the story that had all of us scratching our heads and made everyone in the newsroom say, ‘What The?’
  Despite being a hamlet for more than 100 years, Tiddleywink has been omitted from maps and postmen are frequently left scratching their heads in confusion as to where it is.
  If this leaves you scratching your head, you're not the first.
  It all moves along pretty fast, and with no track listing to speak of, don't be surprised in the least if you find yourself scratching your head.
  But sometimes, you're just left scratching your head.
  Quit scratching your heads and wondering who he was.
  Three decades later, we are still scratching our heads.
  But in a lapse that has some people scratching their heads, it failed to budget for any aid to Afghanistan in this year's spending plans.
  He must be scratching his head in bewilderment.
  A word of warning watching this film: don't take your eyes off it for a moment or you'll be left scratching your head.
  Synonyms
  struggle mentally, be out of one's depth, be in the dark, have difficulty, be confounded, be confused, be dumbfounded

scratch the surface

1Deal with a matter only in the most superficial way.
浅尝；触及表面
research has only scratched the surface of the paranormal
研究仅涉及超正常范围的表面。
Example sentencesExamples
- As a matter of fact, most so called health nuts don't even scratch the surface of healthy living anyway, no matter how much they can bench press.
- Yet, so far, it seems Stanford has only begun to scratch the surface in terms of its programmatic and curricular activities on matters Indian.
- This is only scratching the surface - there are literally hundreds more one could list, but these are some of the ones I deem most significant for the reasons given.
- Without an understanding of the experiential learning process, the surface of knowledge and learning are only scratched.
- In the space allotted for this article, I can scratch only the surface of each profiled editor.
- Having been here only 9 months I am still only scratching the surface and finding many delights are hidden below the superficial facade.
- Yet even as he was speaking, aid agencies were warning the deal would only scratch the surface.
- The U.N. has introduced a new mechanism for Afghanistan to deal with this latter problem, but it only scratches the surface of what is really required.
- If I well understood the spirit of the article, both Romanians and Bulgarians should go deeper than scratching on surface in knowing each other.
- We are only scratching the surface by helping these 350 tortoises, but it is far better that they are in experienced hands than in the hands of smugglers.
2Initiate the briefest investigation to discover something concealed.
进行简短调查
they have a boring image but scratch the surface and it's fascinating
它们有种令人生厌的形象，可是一旦调查起来，却很令人着迷。
Example sentencesExamples
- Just double underline that we are still scratching the surface, we have a long way to go.
- I believe we're just scratching the surface in our investigation and a lot more will come out.
- We're scratching at the surface of his character here.
- It is obvious that this figure only scratches the surface of movie piracy when a five year old can download the latest Teletubbies movie over the Internet.
- As reporters, journalists in Australia and England and I were to detail over the next year, that initial series only scratched the surface.
- Over all the years, science has made more and more discoveries - yet still hasn't scratched the surface of nature's wonders.
- Miller said: ‘We haven't even scratched the surface of what we can do with an ear of corn.’
- Now police fear the investigation has only scratched at the surface of the problem.
- He felt that he wasn't even scratching the surface of animal trafficking, which is why he decided to join forces with other groups.
- The Policing Board member commented: ‘We haven't even scratched the surface of sectarianism yet, nor are we tackling it in any strategic way.’

up to scratch

Up to the required standard; satisfactory.
达到标准的；令人满意的
her German was not up to scratch
她的德语还不行。
Example sentencesExamples
- If it's not quite up to scratch, £1,000 invested in getting it to look its best could make a big difference.
- Tony says that he is feeling ‘fine’ at the moment and that he is trying to keep his health and fitness up to scratch.
- For instance, the sound system was not up to scratch and I did not feel comfortable performing with bad sound.
- It's nice to know that someone thinks my writing is up to scratch!
- There are many cases on record of writers who have written three or four novels before they produced one which even they thought was up to scratch.
- We say so because responses to emergencies like fire outbreaks and accidents are simply not up to scratch.
- The light must be bright to help you adjust, Standard indoor lighting is not up to scratch.
- To do that, they need the money to bring those services up to scratch.
- Irish schools require an investment programme amounting to an estimated 2.5 billion to bring them up to scratch.
- Are spelling standards and vocabulary up to scratch in Southland schools?
Synonyms
good enough, up to the mark, up to standard, up to par, satisfactory, acceptable, adequate, passable, sufficient, competent, all right

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

proverb If you do me a favour, I'll return it.
〈谚〉你帮我，我帮你；投我以桃，报之以李
Example sentencesExamples
- The amalgamated union of executive and non-executive directors represents a friendly society which operates on the basis of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’.
- In short, I would prefer honest reviews over the watered-down "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’ kind.
- ‘Cooperative’ partnership may be an underused form of relationship between organisations, although it uses mechanisms by which lots of individual business gets done: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
- The idea behind this goes back to you scratch my back I scratch yours.
- A state that is run according to the principle of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’ does not possess the authority required for carrying out ‘painful cuts’.
- This statement expresses the real relations between the trade unions and management: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
- What is so objectionable is the cosiness of it all: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
- It's a story of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.’
- She said the concept is based on the saying, ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’.

Derivatives

scratcher

noun

Eight had chronic otorrhea or previous surgery, two were long-term hearing aid wearers, and one was an habitual ear scratcher.
Example sentencesExamples
- Seven years on at the age of 24, the self-taught scratcher is a familiar face on the South Lakeland music scene.
- It came across as something of a head scratcher, like a grouchy surfer getting territorial over an epic swell.
- They began digging in their spot, wielding nothing more sophisticated than garden scratchers and shovels.
- He dug with a scratcher to reveal the outlines of a boulder approximately 12 x 18 x 10 inches in size.

Origin

Late Middle English: probably a blend of the synonymous dialect words scrat and cratch, both of uncertain origin; compare with Middle Low German kratsen and Old High German krazzōn.

Two English dialect words with the same meaning, scrat and cratch, probably combined to form scratch in the medieval period. The origins of from scratch, ‘from the very beginning, without making use of any previous work’, lie in the sporting world. In the past certain sports such as cycling and running sometimes used a particular handicap system. A line or mark, known as the scratch, was drawn to indicate the starting position for all competitors except those who had been awarded an advantage: they were allowed to start a little way in front. So a competitor starting from scratch would start from a position without any advantage. The expression up to scratch, meaning ‘up to the required standard’, also comes from this practice, as originally it referred to someone who was good enough to start from the scratch line. Napoleon had bad experiences in Russia. In 1812 the severity of the Russian winter and the resistance of the Russian people forced his retreat from Moscow. Of the Russians Napoleon is reported to have said ‘scratch the Russian and you will find the Tartar’. Whether or not this is true, from 1823 the saying is referred to in English, and people began to use the formula scratch X and find Y of other nationalities and persons. George Bernard Shaw wrote in St Joan in 1924: ‘Scratch an Englishman, and find a Protestant’, while Dorothy Parker wrote in 1937 ‘Scratch a lover, and find a foe’.

Rhymes

attach, batch, catch, crosshatch, detach, hatch, latch, match, mismatch, natch, outmatch, patch, thatch

Definition of scratch in US English:

scratch

verbskrætʃskraCH

1with object Score or mark the surface of (something) with a sharp or pointed object.
刮擦
the car's paintwork was battered and scratched
汽车的油漆被刮擦得斑驳不堪。
no object he scratched at a stain on his jacket
他刮擦着夹克衫上的污渍。
Example sentencesExamples
- Never use abrasives on either anodized or painted surfaces as they will scratch it.
- Early treatises advise rubbing the surface with garlic, but more usually the panel was scratched slightly to provide some tooth to which the paint can adhere.
- The outside edges on my ring come to pretty sharp 90 degree angle and I've scratched a few windows including a car windshield with it.
- Place a canvas drop cloth over the floor of the tub or shower to protect the surface from the sand-like grout that can scratch it.
- How to clean leather with serious grease or oil stains without scratching the fabric is simple.
- Blow or tip these shavings from your material at regular intervals: never use a brush as this could badly scratch your surface.
- Use a narrow wooden spatula or similar tool that won't scratch the wok's cooking surface.
- An unexpected sharp vibration can cause the head to crash onto the surface of the disk, gouging it like a phonograph needle can scratch a record.
- As you can see in the picture below, a deliberate attempt to damage the mousing surface by scratching it with a key caused very little damage.
- He scratched a match across the surface of the table and lit his pipe.
- I'm not sure if it's the shipping, but our base was scratched pretty badly.
- Cases hitting the ground will inevitably pick up grit that can scratch the inside of the die and leave a mark on every case loaded.
- In May vandals went on the rampage trashing cars in a spate of incidents on the estates, including smashing windows, slashing sunroofs, tyres and scratching paintwork.
- On my return I found that my vehicle was scratched with what seems to be a very sharp instrument - perhaps a nail - from the front fender to the back tail gate.
- When the businessman returned to his car, however, he found that one of the locals had taken a nail to it, badly scratching the paint.
- When you rent DVDs, how on earth do you manage to scratch them up so badly?
- Don't try to remove it all by scraping or you will scratch the surfaces.
- He still had on some armor that covered his rather muscular physique, but it was scratched and dented pretty badly.
- Let only the flat edge of the blade touch the surface to prevent scratching it.
- I check whether I'm still able to judge speed and distance accurately by making sure I can get my car key in the door lock without breaking it or scratching the paintwork.
Synonyms
score, abrade, scrape, roughen, scuff, scuff up, lacerate, groove, gash, engrave, incise, gouge
1. 1.1 Make a long, narrow superficial wound in the skin of.
  划伤皮肤
  her arms were scratched by the thorns
  她的双臂被荆棘划伤了。
  I scratched myself on the tree
  我被树划伤了。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Curious, she looked at her arms, they too were scratched and bruised, but only slightly.
  The branches were scratching the two men's arms as they went through the woods, one dragging the other.
  She sat down and looked to her arms, which had been bruised and scratched by the brush.
  In a minor scuffle with a thief, the colleague is wounded when a fellow passenger scratches him accidentally.
  His face was scratched and his robe was stained with crimson.
  His face, arms and legs were badly scratched and his clothes were torn.
  She told me that, without any warning, the cat had jumped on her, scratched her, and bitten her in the right arm.
  He has to wear tights on his legs and long sleeves on his arms on a hot Missouri day so he doesn't scratch himself.
  I punched and kicked and even resulted in petty hair pulling while she wildly thrashed her arms trying to scratch me.
  The 44-year-old housekeeper alleged Campbell punched and scratched her face so badly she went to hospital.
  She showed no sign of caring that her slim boyish legs, encased in her elder brothers khaki shorts, were being scratched by the thorns of the roses that she skedaddled past.
  He dropped one hand and the one on her chin was drawn away with the nails toward her skin, so he scratched her slightly.
  I am always stubbing my toe, smashing my arms against walls, tripping over, scratching myself.
  Wambach's skin had been scratched and bruised in several places.
  Their hair was messy, their clothes were ripped, their skin was dirty and scratched, and their eyes were dulled by the expression of misery.
  The black-haired boy looked as if he had died and come back to life - his lips were dry and cut, he had a black eye, and his cheek was scratched badly.
  Other weeds, including sand bur and thistle, can also scratch and irritate your skin.
  A branch scratched him on the arm, ripping lightly into his flesh and a skimpy drop of blood came out.
  He developed a facial infection after being scratched by a rose thorn.
  If your child cuts or scratches his or her skin, be sure to use soap and water to clean the area because open wounds are more susceptible to warts and other infections.
  Synonyms
  graze, scrape, abrade, rasp, skin, rub raw, cut, lacerate, bark, chafe, strip, flay, wound
2. 1.2 Rub (a part of one's body) with one's fingernails to relieve itching.
  搔痒
  Jessica lifted her sunglasses and scratched her nose
  杰西卡抬了抬太阳镜揉揉鼻子。
  Example sentencesExamples
  ‘Uh, yea,’ Mark said scratching the back of his neck and walking closer to me.
  The more you thought about not scratching it, the worse it itched.
  She relaxed a bit, and lightly scratched her chin.
  Then it started on my face and some other parts of my body which you cannot scratch in public.
  He just nodded and looked out the window while scratching his lower/inner arm.
  Huck itches all over and tries not to scratch himself so he doesn't make any noise.
  ‘For the Love of Any Patron Saint that's in the area and available,’ said I, taking my hat off my head and scratching my forehead.
  My arms were around her waist, so I scratched her lower back softly.
  But even though I've stopped scratching it, it still hasn't healed.
  He unfolded his arms, and the landlord flinched in terror, but the hradani merely scratched his chin thoughtfully.
  ‘All done,’ he said happily, scratching his nose and laving a grease stain on the tip of it.
  I was itchy, but as soon as I would scratch my arms they would hurt like I had bruised them.
  Yawning, the teenage girl reached to scratch her neck, and felt the marks left there on her vein.
  Mark scratched the back of his head, a sure sign he was trying to come up with something to say.
  "Yeah, " Brandon nodded, absently scratching his ear.
  He is scratching his chin as he considers the question.
  I'm just scratching your back to make you feel more comfortable, " I explained.
  ‘No,’ said I scratching my shoulder and looking over at Poppy, my most excellent beagle, who was trying to catch a bumble bee.
  As he stood scratching his belly, dragging long sharp nails through the thin fur there, he decided that a simple favor was needed.
  He could not walk, talk, lift his arms, feed himself or scratch himself.
  Synonyms
  rub, claw, claw at, scrape, tear at
3. 1.3 Make (a mark or hole) by scoring a surface with a sharp or pointed object.
  刮擦
  I found two names scratched on one of the windowpanes
  我发现其中一面窗玻璃上刻着两个名字。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Jamali also paints on cork, mixing pigments and scratching imagery onto the surface with sticks and his fingernails.
  Spread the fertilizer evenly around the plants and scratch it into the soil surface.
  Pictures of hunters were painted or scratched on cave walls all over the world.
  Returning on his own, he discovers a cellar scratched from the earth and covered with corrugated iron.
  She ran her hand against the steel plated walls and crouched down to see writings that had been scratched into the metal, probably with a knife.
  Engraving is done by scratching a drawing with a sharp tool on a metal sheet and then making a print from the scratched lines.
  Most often, the entire presentation surface of a redware object was covered with white slip, and a design was then scratched into the surface.
  Using a sharp instrument, Verster then draws and scratches patterns and images into this surface, revealing the strata of yellow beneath.
  Each seal has a series of lines of varying orientations scratched into its inside surface.
  To determine whether the liposomes spread onto the DPPA surface as a monolayer or bilayer, a defect was scratched into the lipid surface.
  After being air-dried, an awl or pointed stick could be used to scratch a simple design into the surface.
  A large red heart with the figure of a female nude scratched on the surface, was a favourite of his fiancée and was painted shortly after he met her.
  A while ago, while in Northern Ireland, I saw someone had scratched the name INLA into the wood of a door in a stall.
  He scratched his name into the silica surface in a popular act of vandalism.
4. 1.4 Write (something) hurriedly or awkwardly.
  （匆忙或笨拙地）写
  pass me my writing things—I'll scratch a few letters before I get up
  把我的纸和笔递过来-我准备起床前赶写几封信。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Yes, a dark-haired, humanly-dressed faerie was dragging the pen back and forth, scratching out words onto the paper.
  Near the end of the book with its empty gaping pages and neat writing was a verse scratched out with red pen.
  Andrew nodded, tore a page out of the sketch book in his pocket and scratched out his number with a stumpy pencil hooked in the books ring binder.
  He went on marking things down on his clipboard, violently scratching a multitude of checks and notations onto the paper.
  Lissie looked down at the poem she'd been scratching down.
  All it took was a few plays scratched out on Bowden's legal pad.
  Every time I took a 20-minute break from the books, I scratched out a few lines of code.
  They love to crunch numbers and scratch out mock drafts on legal pads at work.
  I grabbed a pen and scratched down ‘goodbye’ on a napkin.
  He scratched out his first poem while taking a break from failing a thermodynamics exam, on which he receive a nine out of a possible one hundred.
  She scratched out a note with a slightly shaky hand, folded it, and attached it to the leather straps tied to the skytyr's foot.
  Then the woman scratched out a note and placed it beneath the glass of water at his bedside.
  Then one of us scratched out some notes, the other one picked it up and ran with it a few more paces and, in the fullness of time, an essay emerged.
  Returning when she needed to the ink well, she scratched out her scribbling in a fine script that even the most cultured hand would envy.
  Hawksblade chuckled as he read the next line scratched out in ink.
  In fury Beethoven scratched out the dedication at the betrayal of his ideals.
  Then, driven by whatever strange spirit possesses them, they begin monitoring speed, distance and trajectory, scratching their findings into notebooks.
  He held out the paper again, so I hurriedly scratched my name on his dotted line.
  James watched as the good doctor scratched out a quick report on some looseleaf.
  The entire bus ride, I scratched out the most scathing letter.
5. 1.5 Remove (something) from something else by pulling a sharp implement over it.
  刮去
  he scratched away the plaster
  他刮去了石膏。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Cleanup crews watched in horror as otters scratched out their own eyes to rid them of oil.
  No way did I want my eyes scratched out by those freshly manicured nails.
  The lines have been scratched out using a needle, on a canvas smeared with oil colours.
6. 1.6no object Make a rasping or grating noise by scraping something over a hard surface.
  发出刮擦声
  the dog scratched to be let in
  狗嚓嚓地扒门想进去。
  Example sentencesExamples
  His fingernails scraped, scratched at the doorknob with urgency.
  There was a sound of claws scratching against stone, then a heavy thud.
  One extremely large creature traveled up inside the wall, and took up residence directly over our bed, scratching and keeping us awake each night.
  Yes, something was behind the vent, scratching to get out.
  We heard scratching behind the kitchen units three nights ago.
  The dogs, now deprived of their warm and huddled sleep at the foot of Matty's bed, spent the nights scratching and sniffing at the back door, whining to be let in.
  The dog scratched and padded around the place and pushed his dish across the kitchen floor tiles.
  On the deck below Maria heard the poor dog scratching at the wooden planks anxiously.
  Your cat scratches at the door after being fed.
  It seemed to have been a bird scratching at her window.
  If the fact that their kitten was scratching and meowing to come into my place is anything to go by, it's not pretty.
  If the cat is scratching at the door and meowing to be let out, just ignore him.
  Down here is all darkness, the only sound the slur of rain in the dirt, water rats scratching inside the walls.
  Its huge feet and long legs kept up with her easily, its clawed hands were stretched out ready to grab her, scratching against the walls, making a spine shilling noise.
  It really is quite remarkable the way in which those cute little white paws can convey such anger and indignation when they are scratching relentlessly on one's bedroom door.
  A dog howled at the door and then started scratching furiously at the door, as a screeching grew louder.
  I wolfed it, famished, while cats scratched at gaps in the floorboards and invisible mice.
  Activists did not consider it Scottish enough and chose a new logo featuring a lion apparently scratching at a red door.
  She scratches at the wall but it doesn't sound the same.
  While assassins approached the tent, Pompey began barking and scratching to warn his master, finally jumping on William's face to wake him.
7. 1.7no object (of a bird or mammal, especially a chicken) rake the ground with the beak or claws in search of food.
  （鸟、哺乳动物，尤指鸡）用嘴（或爪子）扒地找食物
  Example sentencesExamples
  Hens enjoy scratching, preening and dustbathing and the deep straw covered floor encourages these social activities.
  By the halfway mark of our stay, I took to wandering down to the stables to count the remaining ducks scratching around in the straw and ensure there was no danger of a supply crisis before we left.
  She could here the birds scratching at the ground outside her tent, the leaves on on the tree by the door blowing in the brisk wind.
  The man still thinks in terms of animal manure and chickens scratching in the yard.
  In the chiaroscuro of this place of offering, figured with the wax and soot of burned candles, a chicken scratches near a sacrificial stone.
  Throwing scratch grain around will get the hens scratching, which will fluff up the bedding and keep it well mixed.
  As they talked, one of his chickens scratched up a coin that the young Swede recognised (so he says) as bearing the head of the Emperor Augustus.
  You'll feel a smug warmth every time you pass a broiler chicken house and think of your own happy, healthy poultry scratching in the dust at home.
  I looked at a few hens scratching in the grit at the hut's door.
  Several chickens scratched about outside what appeared to be a chicken coop.
  The only things living were a sow, her piglets, and some hens scratching in the dirt.
  When it hatched, it grew up like other chickens, picking and scratching for food.
  She lowered her head and scratched in the dirt with her horn.
  People are bargaining, arguing, gossiping; dogs are bickering, chickens scratching in the dirt.
  Ideally they would have a movable coup or ark that can be put on a patch of soil where the birds will scratch around eating every pest, as well as most weeds - and also fertilising the soil.
  These birds didn't even scratch the ground for food, practicing normal foraging behavior.
  They can scratch in the ground and eat seeds and bugs as well as their regular chicken feed.
  Chickens scratched in the company of a stately, gruff-voiced, very respectable pig, rooting under a walnut tree.
  Typically feeding on the ground, they uncover food by scratching with their feet or digging with their bills.
8. 1.8 Accomplish (something) with great effort or difficulty.
  奋力完成
  he scratches out a living growing strawberries
  Example sentencesExamples
  Failing to scratch out a run against a starter such as Kip Wells is much different than what happened Sunday.
  Hendley held out hope the rest of the night that the Cubs might scratch out a run, but saw those hopes diminish rapidly as Koufax got stronger and stronger.
  The band still had to deal with the problem of coming off the payroll and switching from playing large venues to rolling round the club circuit, scratching a living.
  Only if you were born and brought up unbeknown to the world in the darkness of deepest Dalby Forest, scratching a living from the land would you be truly a non-person.
  I know they've scratched out two wins in a row, but we feel confident in ourselves.
  The rare few that still survived clung on at the edge of society, scratching a living from what little they could find in their woodland domains.
  Many cities were said to be turning into ghost towns, with some five to seven million people living precariously on the breadline, scratching out an existence from one day to the next.
  The Redskins have been in the play-offs just once since Gibbs left and have scratched out one winning season since 1997.
  Keep the Twins close and hope their teammates scratch out enough runs to win.
  The general impression one gets is that Morse accepts the persistent stereotype of the solitary miner scratching out a meager existence largely on his own.
  Gradually the West Mayo team got a foothold and they scratched out three points before the break to give themselves a chance.
  He may not have felt so desperate if poverty hadn't forced him into exile: illegal, paralysed, scratching a living for the smallest slice of pie.
  As late as the 1850s, people scratched out a bare existence by soaking up surface oil from springs around Oil Creek in Pennsylvania.
  Oldham continue to scratch out wins - can they keep it going all season or will their luck change?
  The Mariners and the Tigers scratch out their runs with bunts, strings of hits and a willingness to move the runners.
  Residents scratch out a living amid blocks of abandoned, boarded up, burned-out row houses and vacant warehouses.
  Fifty per cent of Madagascar's population earn less than one US dollar per year, scratching a living from the parched red earth or feeding themselves by fishing.
  Now it's six years later and he is scratching a living predicting sports results.
  We think that our people were made for better things than scratching a living from tourism.
  From nowhere, she started scratching out a reasonable living.
  Synonyms
  scrape, scratch, scrimp
2with object Cancel or strike out (writing) with a pen or pencil.
划掉
the name of Dr. McNab was scratched out and that of Dr. Daniels substituted
麦克纳布博士的名字被划掉了，代替他的是登斯特布尔博士。
Example sentencesExamples
- Someone, however, scratched out ‘Briefing Room’ with a large black marker.
- Underneath, ineptly scratched out, three telltale words are still discernible: ‘Made in Taiwan’.
- Her name had been scratched out and all the evidence of her reign was deposited in one location.
- Forthworth took a pen out of his pocket, and scratched out the part about sustaining life.
- I borrowed the nametag keeper's pen and scratched out as much of the name on the tag as I could, attempting to replace it with my actual, real name.
- Possessed only of his passport, from which he scratched out his home address, Kahn remained unidentified for several days in the city morgue.
- Nerissa shrugged in return as she scratched out whatever it had been that she'd been drawing.
- The postcard itself has a postmark from 1958 and has some writing on it which is still visible, even though violently scratched out.
- I furiously scratched out what I had just written in the notebook, and replaced it with more than just a few malicious thoughts.
- He scratched out the notes on the paper he had made and began to write new ones.
- The rest I put back into their boxes, scratched out my address and replaced it with theirs, and sent them off.
- This really was not a document that could be just quickly scratched out and rewritten.
- Later, when they checked his wallet, they found that he had scratched out his address in his passport and any other details that would have helped them contact his family.
- She scratched out that box and ticked the third one as the more accurate.
- This guy then scratched out his name on the script and put down his girlfriend's name.
- It is an explanation consistent with the typing of his name on the deed only to be scratched out and Adam's name written in.
- I scoffed as Cale jotted down one line beneath the twenty scratched out ones.
- It's full of marks and words that are scratched out here and there.
- It had over a dozen different words written on it and all were scratched out except for the last.
- She - I assumed it was a she - had scratched out the original name and put her own name in its place.
Synonyms
cross out, strike out, score out, delete, erase, remove, strike off, eliminate, cancel, expunge, obliterate
1. 2.1 Withdraw (a competitor) from a competition.
  取消（选手）参赛资格
  Oswald's Zephyr was the second horse to be scratched from a race today
  Example sentencesExamples
  The German was branded a cheat and scratched from that year's drivers' championship for unsportsmanlike conduct.
  Garcia was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to the injuries he sustained on his left hand, but will be available later in the series.
  She was scratched out of Friday's Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill in favor of Saturday's race.
  May was able to pitch but was scratched because of a renewed muscle tweak.
  Some will be scratched; others will play through the pain.
  Wells suffered a strained left groin muscle during a May 23 start at Toronto and was scratched from his next outing.
  He was scratched from the lineup yesterday and was walking stiffly as the result of having his neck and back taped up.
  McKee thought he would play in the next game, but Ruff scratched him again.
  Jeter was the starter in last year's All-Star Game at Turner Field, but only because Rodriguez had to be scratched from the game due to injury.
  Injuries have played a part - he was scratched from a start earlier this week with a sore right shoulder.
  The committee have decided that players who have not played the games by that date will be automatically scratched from the competition.
  Alabama Stakes winner Island Fashion was one of five fillies scratched from the race.
  Two of the original four West Virginia-breds were scratched from the event.
  Shine Again is a half sister to four-year-old Shiny Band, who was scratched from the First Flight.
  Failure to play before the deadline may result in both players being scratched from the competition without notice.
  Last year French was banned from racing for two years and scratched from Olympic competition for life.
  Speedy Punta, a six-year-old gelding by Punta Arenas, was tested on course and scratched from his intended race.
  Subsequent bulletins were upbeat but a muscle problem would not dissipate and, a further ten days later, Yeats was scratched from the Derby.
  The match was abandoned, Palmeiras-B was scratched from the tournament by IFA and the title went to the city giant.
  The club can afford to be careful with RHP Jason Schmidt, who was scratched from his start Sunday because of elbow tendinitis.
  Synonyms
  withdraw, pull out, pull out of, back out, back out of, bow out, bow out of, stand down, give up, leave, quit
2. 2.2no object (of a competitor) withdraw from a competition.
  取消（选手）参赛资格
  due to a knee injury she was forced to scratch from the race
  由于膝盖受伤，她不得不退出比赛。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Only seven older fillies and mares contested the Eatontown after six entrants scratched from the race, run over a soft turf course.
  He advanced to the semi-finals in the former and to the finals in the latter, then scratched from both events in order to focus on other upcoming swims.
  He scratched too from an exhibition match after the ladies final of the US Open.
  Both silver medalists at the Athens Olympics have had to scratch from their event.
  Only four of the original 15 entrants scratched out of the race, which was contested over a muddy track.
3. 2.3 Cancel or abandon (an undertaking or project)
  取消；放弃（任务，项目）
  the original filming schedule has been scratched
  Example sentencesExamples
  York RI will also play a fixture originally scratched because of poor weather when they travel to Northallerton in Yorkshire Three.
  Actually, scratch that, it sounds too much like we live in a lost and found shoebox.
  Wednesday's launch was scratched because of a reading of low current from a battery system on the rocket's second stage.
  Oh wait scratch that I do plan ahead.
  Synonyms
  call off, abandon, scrap, drop
3no object Play a record using the scratch technique.
he raps and scratches simultaneously to dazzling effect
See scratch (sense 2 of the noun)
Example sentencesExamples
- It was using a sample that sounded somewhere between vinyl scratching and cool drum beats.
- The album, which mixes rap lyrics, hip-hop beats, scratching, samples and live guitar, is now available to local people.
- Instead, Teeba does his talking with his turntables, scratching with great dexterity and impeccable rhythmic flair.
- While the concept is a good one, Swift over-emphasizes breaks and scratching at the expense of vocals and harmonies.
- The group's music policy is a mixture of funk, hip hop and 80s disco blended with scratching and a touch of Latin, house and techno.
- It's got scratching, it's got acoustic guitars.
- Photography became the snapshot and photo album; newspapers became fuel for fanzines, and the vinyl record became a tool for scratching and sampling.
- Much has been made of his ability to make his toggle switch sound like a DJ scratching.
- I'm chopping up and scratching more - it's like I'm a new DJ again.
- She lets each song breathe, adding in conga solos, DJ scratching and trumpets from her tightly synched seven-member band.
- The act consists of three men dressed in tails and armed with violins bow in synch with turntable scratching.
- In fact, there is more scratching on this CD than on any I have heard in recent years.
- The combo of bongo drums and some sharp scratching from DJ Kilmore was pretty impressive.
- Beginning with DJ Olive's wavering synthetic tones, shouts, drums and scratching follow to form a sonic melee with an appreciable sense of forward motion.
- The Tory leader had a go at scratching and mixing on record decks when he visited the Fusion Project to talk to young people.
- Young people are invited to attend workshops and master classes in everything from graffiti art to hip-hop and urban dance to scratching and break dancing.
- If your composition involves scratching and sampling, all to the good.
- I was also mesmerised by scratching once I got decks at 17, so I was just away in my room experimenting.
- Shakespearean rhyming couplets have been adapted for rap with an on-stage DJ scratching, beatboxing and grooving right along with the performers.
- When I work with Obscure, I try to think of what can be done with scratching on this record that hasn't been done before.

nounskrætʃskraCH

1A mark or wound made by scratching.
划伤，擦伤
the scratches on her arm were throbbing
她手臂上的划伤阵阵抽痛。
as modifier scratch marks on the door
窗上的划痕。
Example sentencesExamples
- Her fingers brushed against the smooth glass of the jewel and she withdrew it, carefully inspecting it for chips or scratches.
- His black shirt was torn, leaving her with a good look at his chest, filled with scratches and wounds.
- These scratch marks, which resemble fine brown hairs, are always located on the upper third of the flower.
- Which card is more likely to be marked by nicks and scratches on its edges?
- The black scuff marks and smaller scratches left last Friday night don't bother me as much - they're merely cosmetic.
- Scratch marks will usually go away one or two weeks after treatment.
- The films are not well preserved, so there are plenty of scratches and burn marks, and dirt on the prints.
- This speed assures elimination of swirl marks and scratches in the wood.
- Any scratch, dent or mark, however little, is taken note of and fixed.
- We had to apply it liberally on all wounds, even minor scratches and mosquito bites.
- With scratches and flaws marking up the picture, I'm sad to report that this picture is sub-par.
- Conjunctivitis may also occur due to allergies or from a scratch on the surface of the eye.
- Her arms were covered in scratches and there was one extremely deep one that was still seeping some blood.
- My knees were bruised from tripping, and my arms and legs had scratches from tree branches that reached as far as they could to grab travelers.
- Jodi had several scratches on her arms and, Vaughn assumed, on her legs as well.
- Notice the puncture marks, scratches and big gash all the way to the lower right
- He assured me that no-one will ever notice the small scratch mark he was able to make.
- Because granite is melted rock, it has uniform properties, which makes it quite hard and resistant to scratches.
- Traditional machines have individual grinding heads that travel in their own radius, leaving scratches or permanent marks.
- If the flooring has spillage marks or deep scratches then get these attended to as quickly as possible.
Synonyms
score, mark, line, abrasion, scrape, scuff, laceration, groove, gash, gouge
1. 1.1informal in singular A slight or insignificant wound or injury.
  〈非正式〉轻伤
  it's nothing—just a scratch
  没什么-一点擦伤。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Year after year, however, millions of people enjoy themselves outdoors and return home without a scratch.
  A driver who escaped without a scratch when his car plunged 50 feet down a moorland ravine has told of his amazing escape.
  However, people in movies routinely jump through plate glass windows without receiving a single scratch.
  Have you ever been in an accident where you should've been hurt, even killed- and came out with only small injuries, or without a scratch?
  I spent a year in Vietnam and came home without a scratch.
  In fact, he leaves the accident without a scratch on him.
  My husband and daughter died instantly, but the truck driver came out without a scratch.
  She told them she was fine; that she'd only gotten a scratch.
  The newspapers were filled with images of people buried in rubble, yet walking away without a scratch.
  She then proceeded to spend a homeless night in strange surroundings out in the cold before being found, without a scratch on her, by her worried owners.
  He got out of it without a scratch, but the car was totalled, and it was a hundred and something thousand dollars worth of car.
  In the fight with the police officer, Will, he had gotten hurt more than a slight bit while Will didn't have a scratch on him.
  Thankfully this man was apprehended safely and all the officers were able to walk away without a scratch.
  The plan was to find her and bring her back without a scratch.
  Fry emerged from the incident without a scratch, but the concussion of the explosion was felt some 2,000 feet away, at the starting line.
  The men advance towards her and she single-handedly knocks all of them to the ground escaping without a scratch.
  Not too many people have their motorcycles ripped out from under them at 65 mph, in heavy traffic, and escape without a scratch.
  He later crashed one of his planes at Victoria River Downs Station but walked away from it without a scratch.
  Dozens of rounds of ammo, bombs and even cannonballs are fired at the trio, yet don't produce one scratch.
  But if I'd had to, I could have driven three times that long and gotten both of us out of there without a scratch.
  Synonyms
  graze, scrape, abrasion, cut, laceration, wound
2. 1.2in singular An act or spell of scratching oneself to relieve itching.
  搔痒
  he gave his scalp a good scratch
  他使劲地挠头皮。
  Example sentencesExamples
  I gave Wilma one last scratch behind the ear, and I ran downstairs.
  His tweed cap was removed only occasionally, and only long enough for a frustrated head scratch.
  I picked up the paper clip as my mind told me ‘Just one little scratch wont hurt.’
  Truman meowed again and accepted the offered scratch behind the ears with great appreciation.
  When you've got an itch on your back you'll do anything for a scratch and there's not much in the ocean to rub against.
  She joked, reaching down to give the beast a scratch behind the ears.
  The women resume their conversation and the dogs, no longer interested in each other have a scratch or look for more interesting smells to divert their attention.
3. 1.3 A rasping or grating noise produced by something rubbing against a hard surface.
  发出刮擦声
  the scratch of a match lighting a cigarette
  划着火柴点烟。
  Example sentencesExamples
  You need the right song to remix because there are certain ones that aren't constructed to add bleeps, scratches or a constant thumping bass line.
  First came the sound of voices outside, a familiar chitter of laughter, then the scratch at the door.
  The last ten minutes were silent broken only by the scratch of a pencil.
  Beeps, clicks and scratches run underneath - and alongside - strings, stand-up bass and a variety of percussion.
  She crawled back into bed when she heard a scratch at her bedroom door.
  Acoustic and seismic listening device: extremely sensitive tool which can hear the slightest tap or scratch of a trapped person.
  There was a scratch at the door and the butler announced another visitor.
  It was just a scratch on the door, a muffled noise, and a little flashlight waving at the end of the hall.
  The same answer came and the scratch of a pen followed.
  On the recording, however, I keep hearing the surreptitious scratch of a lighter.
  She was still holding the book and just staring at it when a scratch sounded at the door.
  George on the camera is a genius and Frank on sound could make a chalk scratch on a blackboard sound like music.
  A moment later we heard the unmistakable scratch of the front door closing, and the quiet start of an engine.
  I then heard the scratch of a match against its box.
  Embedded within Pole's framework of clicks, snaps and scratches are subtle yet absorbing layers of sound.
  The only other noises were the scratches of the rats claws as they helped themselves to whatever was stored in their sanctuary.
  A few moments later I heard the scratch of a match against a striker, then smelled the sweet acrid aroma of marijuana.
  He could hear the scratch of her pencil, and the air moving past the car.
  Maybe it was fifteen minutes later when the scratch at the flimsy door disturbed us.
  Synonyms
  grate, grating, creak, creaking, grind, grinding, jar, jarring, rasp, rasping, scratching, rub, rubbing, squeak, squeaking, screech, screeching
4. 1.4 A rough hiss, caused by the friction of the stylus in the groove, heard when a record is played.
  唱片的嚓嚓声（指唱片纹道与唱针的摩擦噪声）
  Example sentencesExamples
  For all that we now quest for absolute fidelity in recordings, I like the comforting scratch of an old record.
  The scratches and surface noise of Jeck's vinyl further emphasise this notion.
  The sound quality is fine, much as it was on the original LPs - minus the surface noise and scratches, however.
  Yes, they were free from the scratches, clicks and pops that plagued records, but otherwise perfect they weren't.
2A technique, used especially in rap music, of stopping a record by hand and moving it back and forth to give a rhythmic scratching effect.
刮擦（多用于快板乐中，用手制止唱片转动，使其来回移动发出有节奏的嚓嚓声的技巧）
Example sentencesExamples
- No need to say a little prayer for local hip hop DJ and scratch vet Raf Kerwin, aka D.R. One, because he's doing just fine on his own.
- With an intro that's absolute insane scratch work, Flow maintains a feverish and surprisingly melodic tempo throughout the set.
- Many of the songs are laced with clever hip hop asides and contain every conceivable type of bleep, scratch and vocal distortion known to nu-metal man.
- There's also rock, funk and turntable scratches thrown in for good measure.
- Do you find it hard to beat juggle and scratch as opposed to blending the records to entertain the crowds?
- Joining them as musical director is local scratch wizard DJ Pocket, who provides a wide mash of musical styles and obscure sounds.
- Hip Hop and Jazz tunes were superbly mixed with turntable scratch and an infectious piano line that dictate the film's progression.
- Anyone acquainted with the world of the scratch DJ will understand that it is manly in the way that Hobbyland is manly.
- From the first scratch to the last, this album is dope.
- He turns up the volume as far as it will go and drags his nail over the microphone, pushing the medium to its limits with a sort of scratch sound.
- With the scratch specialist Picklez gone, there opened a vacancy for the world's top turntablist crew.
- Jill Scott opens the disc, crooning over a hip-hop bassline and vinyl scratches.
- Julie is not just a DJ, but a scratch DJ.
- Talented DJ's have their own style and Q-Bert is a scratch DJ.
- Many amazing comments come from a remarkably sane Genesis P-Orridge while Carl Craig sums up turntablism perfectly as Kid Koala gets his scratch on.
- I know every single scratch, every beat, every scream from the crowd.
3The starting point in a handicap for a competitor receiving no odds.
让步赛中没有取得让步条件的运动员（参赛者）的起始点
Example sentencesExamples
- Faced with having to give them a head-start of 7, he called it evens and had them starting at scratch instead.
- Start and scratch is 6.45 pm, with venues to be announced at a later date.
1. 3.1Golf A handicap of zero, indicating that a player is good enough to achieve par on a course.
  〔高尔夫〕零让步（表明选手不弱，能在场上达到规定击球的次数）
  Example sentencesExamples
  Little Amy, 13, who receives England ‘birdie’ training, wants to get down to scratch.
  But having reached a handicap of scratch by the age of 16, the US college student decided his future lay on the fairways and not the football park.
  He went part-time at Springfield Park, where he works in the shop, to concentrate on his game and has reduced his ranking to scratch.
  The others are to play for the county girls and seniors and get my handicap down from six to scratch.
  I aim to get my handicap down to scratch by the end of next year.
4informal Money.
〈非正式〉钱
he was working to get some scratch together
他正在干活攒钱。
Example sentencesExamples
- I've done some columns, I've had some freelance gigs, and Smith has gotten me some scratch working for the Internet site.
- I'm a grad student right now, so I don't have a lot of scratch to work with.
- The film debut was still a bright spot this weekend and the film will likely sweep up some decent scratch over the coming weeks.
- By '99 they saved up enough scratch to record a full-length album, Rock and Roll Port Three.
- As for material resources, some bloggers are now able to earn some scratch, but this is an effect rather than a cause of their success.
- Many owners suspect, of course, that as the refs demand full-time wages, their true plan is to take the added scratch and keep the other jobs anyway.
- The film makes it very clear that, without some scratch, there is no influence and very little indiscriminate sex.
- Unfortunately, the good mayor's policy of using municipal scratch to buy staff birthday goodies and Christmas presents has also faded into the tundra.
- A guy could have quite the weekend in Vegas with that kind of scratch.
- The upside is that with so much freelance work crammed into a short amount of time, it will bring in a fair amount of scratch.
- The singer plans to make some serious scratch overseas doing promotional work.
Synonyms
cash, hard cash, ready money

adjectiveskrætʃskraCH

1Assembled or made from whatever is available, and so unlikely to be of the highest quality.
仓促拼凑的；匆匆组成的
at least two vessels set sail with scratch crews
Example sentencesExamples
- The UK's greatest scratch DJ crew will bring two hours of the finest UK and US hip hop with incredible turntable skills.
- Unfortunately, however, the year 2000 saw the demise of what has been known as the most influential scratch crew ever.
- A scratch crew from the rest of current affairs had to do the job instead.
- He is, he says, not remotely put off by the ease with which a scratch side with ‘no gameplan and a smattering of hangovers’ dismantled Scotland on Thursday night.
- With the pitch already booked but no one to play, word reached the Lashings pub, where a scratch team was hastily put together among staff and regulars.
- Glass was taking courses at KU, so he joined a scratch league at the student union.
- Captain Phillips was not aboard for her last voyage in 1984, which was with a scratch crew taking her to be scrapped.
- An allconquering Trinity side from the 1970s is to be pitted against a scratch team of young hopefuls.
- Lown bowls weekly in a scratch league at the Gold Coast in Las Vegas and carried a 189 average last season.
- As a result of a threatened boycott by the former dictator's defence team, the trial may have to take place with a scratch team of lawyers appointed by the court itself.
- Bringing up the rear of the field was scratch man John Pearson.
- And then he did it again, leading the scratch platoon he had formed on to its objective.
- There followed a scurry round to assemble a scratch team, kit them up, organise travel arrangements etc.
- As a lad in Clifton in York, others recalled how he had insisted everyone wore white for scratch cricket matches.
- Bath took the game to the Italians with a scratch squad and did so with such determination that there was never any argument about this result.
- After a blistering start, the scratch group of riders caught the rest of the field with two laps to go.
2(of a sports competitor or event) with no handicap given.
（选手，赛事）没有让步优待的
Example sentencesExamples
- I never ever did beat Jonno off a scratch event, but Harry used to make sure that Jon always gave me a start and I'd get the best out of myself by trying to stay in front.
- Lount, who has been a member at Pike Hills for eight years and first played in the Yorkshire Order of Merit in 2002, is now a scratch golfer but has no plans to turn professional.
- On Sunday a minor/intermediate scratch cup takes place.
- She joined Clitheroe Golf Club at the age of eight and became a scratch golfer three weeks after her 16th birthday.
- A scratch golfer who mixes freely with professionals in that game, McGwire is a good judge of what he sees and hears around the circuit.
- He was a scratch player at 12 and had a stellar international record as an amateur.
- I won't get the benefit of those eighteen shots because it is a scratch event but at least I could make an attempt at qualifying.
- Ludwell went on to become a scratch golfer and made many appearances for Yorkshire.
- It doesn't matter if you're a duffer or a scratch golfer, there are a wide variety of courses with unique layouts and challenges for golfers of all skill levels.
- He was also an avid golfer and as long as most can remember was close to being a scratch player.
- But it's his sense of humour that shines through, and he brings that to the very serious world of scratch masters.
- Other notables were Mick, who talked the golf crew through 18 holes of scratch golf.
- Although the event is scratch matchplay, Air Force golfers on handicaps up to 18 are encouraged to nominate.
- Paul, who is already a scratch golfer, is the grandson of well-known Newbridge man Tommy O Hanlon.
- She knows if it wasn't for the support of her parents she would not be a scratch golfer now contemplating the possibility of turning professional.
- Some of us may never be able to hit the ball as accurately, powerfully or consistently as a scratch player, but with work, we can realistically hope to putt like one.
- How difficult, while still being fair, is the course for the scratch player from the back tees?
- He has won most of the honours that the game has to offer and in his prime was almost a scratch player.
- There is a massive difference between being a scratch golfer at home and playing the difficult courses from the back tees!
- But look at the difference between a 9-handicapper and a scratch golfer.

Phrases

from scratch

From the very beginning, especially without utilizing or relying on any previous work for assistance.
从零开始，从头做起；白手起家
he built his own computer company from scratch
他白手起家，建起了自己的电脑公司。
Example sentencesExamples
- The idea is to start from scratch and make the best use of the site.
- Mr Khan built up his company from scratch and now employs more than 20 people.
- I have never had any general fight training, so each time I have to wield a weapon I start from scratch.
- They tested the time it took to mix a cake from a packet and from scratch and the home baked one took only 10 minutes longer.
- The two of them wrote the show from scratch, ensured they got all the best lines and threw in deft ad-libs as required.
- It is a direct reversal of the previous policy where SAS would build its own tools from scratch.
- This would give it a cheaper entry to the market, although it would have to start from scratch in building a customer base.
- Erase everything on the computer's hard drive and start over from scratch.
- It takes three years for a farmer to develop a bamboo plantation from scratch.
- Native programmers are used to support or maintain current systems, not to produce new ones from scratch.

scratch a — and find a —

Used to suggest that an investigation of someone or something soon reveals their true nature.
指揭露某人或某事真面目的调查除去…的假象你将发现…的本质
he had been taught to believe “scratch a pious man and find a hypocrite.”

scratch one's head

1informal Think hard in order to find a solution to something.
〈非正式〉冥思苦想问题的解答
Example sentencesExamples
- A greedy otter has left a Preston grandfather scratching his head for a solution to stop the animal slinking into his pond to eat his fish.
- I spent a few hours scratching my head and looking for a cryptic code which might shed light on where this maverick genius is getting his ideas from.
- The shop is not selling the album until staff have a better idea of what they've got, but it's not the first time they've found themselves scratching their heads over a potential vinyl windfall.
- When next we head to the polls, I may find myself scratching my head in search of a political party that might be worthy of my support.
- You're probably scratching your head even harder wondering why Merrill Lynch is talking about the impact that acquiring Red Hat may or may not have on Sun.
- Still scratching your head over holiday gift ideas for that special someone on your list?
- Local school board members in Charlotte County are left scratching their heads, wondering how they will fit the class into an already full day.
- After scratching my head for a bit I realized when she wrote site your sources, what she really meant was ‘Please write the title of Samuel Seabury's pamphlet when you refer to it.’
- The first big betting race of the year come our way this weekend when the Pierse Hurdle will again draw a big field and have punters scratching their heads to find the winner.
- Purists in the audience were observed scratching their heads, trying to figure out a way to appreciate the ‘exotic’ composition.
Synonyms
think hard, put one's mind to something, give much thought to something, concentrate, try to remember, puzzle over something, cudgel one's brains, furrow one's brow
1. 1.1Feel or express bewilderment.
  感到（或表示）困惑
  Example sentencesExamples
  A word of warning watching this film: don't take your eyes off it for a moment or you'll be left scratching your head.
  Despite being a hamlet for more than 100 years, Tiddleywink has been omitted from maps and postmen are frequently left scratching their heads in confusion as to where it is.
  If this leaves you scratching your head, you're not the first.
  He must be scratching his head in bewilderment.
  Three decades later, we are still scratching our heads.
  But sometimes, you're just left scratching your head.
  Here it is, the story that had all of us scratching our heads and made everyone in the newsroom say, ‘What The?’
  Quit scratching your heads and wondering who he was.
  But in a lapse that has some people scratching their heads, it failed to budget for any aid to Afghanistan in this year's spending plans.
  It all moves along pretty fast, and with no track listing to speak of, don't be surprised in the least if you find yourself scratching your head.
  Synonyms
  struggle mentally, be out of one's depth, be in the dark, have difficulty, be confounded, be confused, be dumbfounded

scratch the surface

1Deal with a matter only in the most superficial way.
浅尝；触及表面
research has only scratched the surface of the paranormal
研究仅涉及超正常范围的表面。
Example sentencesExamples
- Yet, so far, it seems Stanford has only begun to scratch the surface in terms of its programmatic and curricular activities on matters Indian.
- Yet even as he was speaking, aid agencies were warning the deal would only scratch the surface.
- We are only scratching the surface by helping these 350 tortoises, but it is far better that they are in experienced hands than in the hands of smugglers.
- Without an understanding of the experiential learning process, the surface of knowledge and learning are only scratched.
- Having been here only 9 months I am still only scratching the surface and finding many delights are hidden below the superficial facade.
- The U.N. has introduced a new mechanism for Afghanistan to deal with this latter problem, but it only scratches the surface of what is really required.
- This is only scratching the surface - there are literally hundreds more one could list, but these are some of the ones I deem most significant for the reasons given.
- As a matter of fact, most so called health nuts don't even scratch the surface of healthy living anyway, no matter how much they can bench press.
- In the space allotted for this article, I can scratch only the surface of each profiled editor.
- If I well understood the spirit of the article, both Romanians and Bulgarians should go deeper than scratching on surface in knowing each other.
2Initiate the briefest investigation to discover something concealed.
进行简短调查
they have a boring image but scratch the surface and it's fascinating
它们有种令人生厌的形象，可是一旦调查起来，却很令人着迷。
Example sentencesExamples
- I believe we're just scratching the surface in our investigation and a lot more will come out.
- The Policing Board member commented: ‘We haven't even scratched the surface of sectarianism yet, nor are we tackling it in any strategic way.’
- He felt that he wasn't even scratching the surface of animal trafficking, which is why he decided to join forces with other groups.
- Just double underline that we are still scratching the surface, we have a long way to go.
- Over all the years, science has made more and more discoveries - yet still hasn't scratched the surface of nature's wonders.
- Miller said: ‘We haven't even scratched the surface of what we can do with an ear of corn.’
- It is obvious that this figure only scratches the surface of movie piracy when a five year old can download the latest Teletubbies movie over the Internet.
- Now police fear the investigation has only scratched at the surface of the problem.
- We're scratching at the surface of his character here.
- As reporters, journalists in Australia and England and I were to detail over the next year, that initial series only scratched the surface.

up to scratch

Up to the required standard; satisfactory.
达到标准的；令人满意的
her German was not up to scratch
她的德语还不行。
Example sentencesExamples
- For instance, the sound system was not up to scratch and I did not feel comfortable performing with bad sound.
- Are spelling standards and vocabulary up to scratch in Southland schools?
- It's nice to know that someone thinks my writing is up to scratch!
- If it's not quite up to scratch, £1,000 invested in getting it to look its best could make a big difference.
- The light must be bright to help you adjust, Standard indoor lighting is not up to scratch.
- There are many cases on record of writers who have written three or four novels before they produced one which even they thought was up to scratch.
- Irish schools require an investment programme amounting to an estimated 2.5 billion to bring them up to scratch.
- To do that, they need the money to bring those services up to scratch.
- We say so because responses to emergencies like fire outbreaks and accidents are simply not up to scratch.
- Tony says that he is feeling ‘fine’ at the moment and that he is trying to keep his health and fitness up to scratch.
Synonyms
good enough, up to the mark, up to standard, up to par, satisfactory, acceptable, adequate, passable, sufficient, competent, all right

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

proverb If you do me a favor, I'll return it.
〈谚〉你帮我，我帮你；投我以桃，报之以李
Example sentencesExamples
- This statement expresses the real relations between the trade unions and management: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
- What is so objectionable is the cosiness of it all: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
- The idea behind this goes back to you scratch my back I scratch yours.
- The amalgamated union of executive and non-executive directors represents a friendly society which operates on the basis of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’.
- She said the concept is based on the saying, ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’.
- It's a story of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.’
- A state that is run according to the principle of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’ does not possess the authority required for carrying out ‘painful cuts’.
- ‘Cooperative’ partnership may be an underused form of relationship between organisations, although it uses mechanisms by which lots of individual business gets done: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
- In short, I would prefer honest reviews over the watered-down "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’ kind.

Origin

Late Middle English: probably a blend of the synonymous dialect words scrat and cratch, both of uncertain origin; compare with Middle Low German kratsen and Old High German krazzōn.

单词	scratch
释义	Definition of scratch in English: scratch verb skratʃskrætʃ 1with object Score or mark the surface of (something) with a sharp or pointed object. 刮擦 the car's paintwork was battered and scratched 汽车的油漆被刮擦得斑驳不堪。 no object he scratched at a stain on his jacket 他刮擦着夹克衫上的污渍。 Example sentencesExamples I'm not sure if it's the shipping, but our base was scratched pretty badly. Early treatises advise rubbing the surface with garlic, but more usually the panel was scratched slightly to provide some tooth to which the paint can adhere. When the businessman returned to his car, however, he found that one of the locals had taken a nail to it, badly scratching the paint. Don't try to remove it all by scraping or you will scratch the surfaces. He still had on some armor that covered his rather muscular physique, but it was scratched and dented pretty badly. I check whether I'm still able to judge speed and distance accurately by making sure I can get my car key in the door lock without breaking it or scratching the paintwork. On my return I found that my vehicle was scratched with what seems to be a very sharp instrument - perhaps a nail - from the front fender to the back tail gate. When you rent DVDs, how on earth do you manage to scratch them up so badly? Never use abrasives on either anodized or painted surfaces as they will scratch it. How to clean leather with serious grease or oil stains without scratching the fabric is simple. As you can see in the picture below, a deliberate attempt to damage the mousing surface by scratching it with a key caused very little damage. Place a canvas drop cloth over the floor of the tub or shower to protect the surface from the sand-like grout that can scratch it. He scratched a match across the surface of the table and lit his pipe. Blow or tip these shavings from your material at regular intervals: never use a brush as this could badly scratch your surface. Let only the flat edge of the blade touch the surface to prevent scratching it. An unexpected sharp vibration can cause the head to crash onto the surface of the disk, gouging it like a phonograph needle can scratch a record. Use a narrow wooden spatula or similar tool that won't scratch the wok's cooking surface. In May vandals went on the rampage trashing cars in a spate of incidents on the estates, including smashing windows, slashing sunroofs, tyres and scratching paintwork. The outside edges on my ring come to pretty sharp 90 degree angle and I've scratched a few windows including a car windshield with it. Cases hitting the ground will inevitably pick up grit that can scratch the inside of the die and leave a mark on every case loaded. Synonyms score, abrade, scrape, roughen, scuff (up), lacerate, groove, gash, engrave, incise, gouge 1.1 Make a long, narrow superficial wound in the skin of. 划伤皮肤 her arms were scratched by the thorns 她的双臂被荆棘划伤了。 I scratched myself on the tree 我被树划伤了。 Example sentencesExamples She sat down and looked to her arms, which had been bruised and scratched by the brush. His face, arms and legs were badly scratched and his clothes were torn. A branch scratched him on the arm, ripping lightly into his flesh and a skimpy drop of blood came out. She showed no sign of caring that her slim boyish legs, encased in her elder brothers khaki shorts, were being scratched by the thorns of the roses that she skedaddled past. I am always stubbing my toe, smashing my arms against walls, tripping over, scratching myself. He dropped one hand and the one on her chin was drawn away with the nails toward her skin, so he scratched her slightly. The 44-year-old housekeeper alleged Campbell punched and scratched her face so badly she went to hospital. If your child cuts or scratches his or her skin, be sure to use soap and water to clean the area because open wounds are more susceptible to warts and other infections. He has to wear tights on his legs and long sleeves on his arms on a hot Missouri day so he doesn't scratch himself. I punched and kicked and even resulted in petty hair pulling while she wildly thrashed her arms trying to scratch me. He developed a facial infection after being scratched by a rose thorn. She told me that, without any warning, the cat had jumped on her, scratched her, and bitten her in the right arm. Wambach's skin had been scratched and bruised in several places. The black-haired boy looked as if he had died and come back to life - his lips were dry and cut, he had a black eye, and his cheek was scratched badly. Curious, she looked at her arms, they too were scratched and bruised, but only slightly. The branches were scratching the two men's arms as they went through the woods, one dragging the other. His face was scratched and his robe was stained with crimson. Their hair was messy, their clothes were ripped, their skin was dirty and scratched, and their eyes were dulled by the expression of misery. In a minor scuffle with a thief, the colleague is wounded when a fellow passenger scratches him accidentally. Other weeds, including sand bur and thistle, can also scratch and irritate your skin. Synonyms graze, scrape, abrade, rasp, skin, rub raw, cut, lacerate, bark, chafe, strip, flay, wound technical excoriate 1.2 Rub (a part of one's body) with one's fingernails to relieve itching. 搔痒 Jessica lifted her sunglasses and scratched her nose 杰西卡抬了抬太阳镜揉揉鼻子。 Example sentencesExamples The more you thought about not scratching it, the worse it itched. He could not walk, talk, lift his arms, feed himself or scratch himself. ‘No,’ said I scratching my shoulder and looking over at Poppy, my most excellent beagle, who was trying to catch a bumble bee. He just nodded and looked out the window while scratching his lower/inner arm. ‘For the Love of Any Patron Saint that's in the area and available,’ said I, taking my hat off my head and scratching my forehead. ‘Uh, yea,’ Mark said scratching the back of his neck and walking closer to me. Mark scratched the back of his head, a sure sign he was trying to come up with something to say. I was itchy, but as soon as I would scratch my arms they would hurt like I had bruised them. He is scratching his chin as he considers the question. He unfolded his arms, and the landlord flinched in terror, but the hradani merely scratched his chin thoughtfully. But even though I've stopped scratching it, it still hasn't healed. ‘All done,’ he said happily, scratching his nose and laving a grease stain on the tip of it. Huck itches all over and tries not to scratch himself so he doesn't make any noise. I'm just scratching your back to make you feel more comfortable, " I explained. As he stood scratching his belly, dragging long sharp nails through the thin fur there, he decided that a simple favor was needed. Then it started on my face and some other parts of my body which you cannot scratch in public. My arms were around her waist, so I scratched her lower back softly. "Yeah, " Brandon nodded, absently scratching his ear. She relaxed a bit, and lightly scratched her chin. Yawning, the teenage girl reached to scratch her neck, and felt the marks left there on her vein. Synonyms rub, claw (at), scrape, tear at 1.3with object and adverbial Make (a mark or hole) by scoring a surface with a sharp or pointed object. 刮擦 I found two names scratched on one of the windowpanes 我发现其中一面窗玻璃上刻着两个名字。 Example sentencesExamples She ran her hand against the steel plated walls and crouched down to see writings that had been scratched into the metal, probably with a knife. To determine whether the liposomes spread onto the DPPA surface as a monolayer or bilayer, a defect was scratched into the lipid surface. Using a sharp instrument, Verster then draws and scratches patterns and images into this surface, revealing the strata of yellow beneath. A large red heart with the figure of a female nude scratched on the surface, was a favourite of his fiancée and was painted shortly after he met her. After being air-dried, an awl or pointed stick could be used to scratch a simple design into the surface. Jamali also paints on cork, mixing pigments and scratching imagery onto the surface with sticks and his fingernails. He scratched his name into the silica surface in a popular act of vandalism. Each seal has a series of lines of varying orientations scratched into its inside surface. Most often, the entire presentation surface of a redware object was covered with white slip, and a design was then scratched into the surface. Spread the fertilizer evenly around the plants and scratch it into the soil surface. A while ago, while in Northern Ireland, I saw someone had scratched the name INLA into the wood of a door in a stall. Engraving is done by scratching a drawing with a sharp tool on a metal sheet and then making a print from the scratched lines. Returning on his own, he discovers a cellar scratched from the earth and covered with corrugated iron. Pictures of hunters were painted or scratched on cave walls all over the world. 1.4 Write (something) hurriedly or awkwardly. （匆忙或笨拙地）写 Example sentencesExamples Then one of us scratched out some notes, the other one picked it up and ran with it a few more paces and, in the fullness of time, an essay emerged. I grabbed a pen and scratched down ‘goodbye’ on a napkin. Yes, a dark-haired, humanly-dressed faerie was dragging the pen back and forth, scratching out words onto the paper. Andrew nodded, tore a page out of the sketch book in his pocket and scratched out his number with a stumpy pencil hooked in the books ring binder. Returning when she needed to the ink well, she scratched out her scribbling in a fine script that even the most cultured hand would envy. He held out the paper again, so I hurriedly scratched my name on his dotted line. Then, driven by whatever strange spirit possesses them, they begin monitoring speed, distance and trajectory, scratching their findings into notebooks. The entire bus ride, I scratched out the most scathing letter. He went on marking things down on his clipboard, violently scratching a multitude of checks and notations onto the paper. Near the end of the book with its empty gaping pages and neat writing was a verse scratched out with red pen. She scratched out a note with a slightly shaky hand, folded it, and attached it to the leather straps tied to the skytyr's foot. Hawksblade chuckled as he read the next line scratched out in ink. Every time I took a 20-minute break from the books, I scratched out a few lines of code. They love to crunch numbers and scratch out mock drafts on legal pads at work. All it took was a few plays scratched out on Bowden's legal pad. Then the woman scratched out a note and placed it beneath the glass of water at his bedside. Lissie looked down at the poem she'd been scratching down. In fury Beethoven scratched out the dedication at the betrayal of his ideals. James watched as the good doctor scratched out a quick report on some looseleaf. He scratched out his first poem while taking a break from failing a thermodynamics exam, on which he receive a nine out of a possible one hundred. 1.5with object and adverbial Remove (something) from something else by pulling a sharp implement over it. 刮去 he scratched away the plaster 他刮去了石膏。 Example sentencesExamples Cleanup crews watched in horror as otters scratched out their own eyes to rid them of oil. The lines have been scratched out using a needle, on a canvas smeared with oil colours. No way did I want my eyes scratched out by those freshly manicured nails. 1.6no object Make a rasping or grating noise by scraping something over a hard surface. 发出刮擦声 the dog scratched to be let in 狗嚓嚓地扒门想进去。 Example sentencesExamples Down here is all darkness, the only sound the slur of rain in the dirt, water rats scratching inside the walls. Its huge feet and long legs kept up with her easily, its clawed hands were stretched out ready to grab her, scratching against the walls, making a spine shilling noise. While assassins approached the tent, Pompey began barking and scratching to warn his master, finally jumping on William's face to wake him. Yes, something was behind the vent, scratching to get out. There was a sound of claws scratching against stone, then a heavy thud. Your cat scratches at the door after being fed. Activists did not consider it Scottish enough and chose a new logo featuring a lion apparently scratching at a red door. It really is quite remarkable the way in which those cute little white paws can convey such anger and indignation when they are scratching relentlessly on one's bedroom door. The dog scratched and padded around the place and pushed his dish across the kitchen floor tiles. I wolfed it, famished, while cats scratched at gaps in the floorboards and invisible mice. If the cat is scratching at the door and meowing to be let out, just ignore him. His fingernails scraped, scratched at the doorknob with urgency. She scratches at the wall but it doesn't sound the same. The dogs, now deprived of their warm and huddled sleep at the foot of Matty's bed, spent the nights scratching and sniffing at the back door, whining to be let in. If the fact that their kitten was scratching and meowing to come into my place is anything to go by, it's not pretty. On the deck below Maria heard the poor dog scratching at the wooden planks anxiously. We heard scratching behind the kitchen units three nights ago. A dog howled at the door and then started scratching furiously at the door, as a screeching grew louder. One extremely large creature traveled up inside the wall, and took up residence directly over our bed, scratching and keeping us awake each night. It seemed to have been a bird scratching at her window. 1.7no object (of a bird or mammal, especially a chicken) rake the ground with the beak or claws in search of food. （鸟、哺乳动物，尤指鸡）用嘴（或爪子）扒地找食物 the hens cannot do anything that comes naturally to them, such as scratch around Example sentencesExamples The only things living were a sow, her piglets, and some hens scratching in the dirt. By the halfway mark of our stay, I took to wandering down to the stables to count the remaining ducks scratching around in the straw and ensure there was no danger of a supply crisis before we left. In the chiaroscuro of this place of offering, figured with the wax and soot of burned candles, a chicken scratches near a sacrificial stone. As they talked, one of his chickens scratched up a coin that the young Swede recognised (so he says) as bearing the head of the Emperor Augustus. The man still thinks in terms of animal manure and chickens scratching in the yard. Ideally they would have a movable coup or ark that can be put on a patch of soil where the birds will scratch around eating every pest, as well as most weeds - and also fertilising the soil. People are bargaining, arguing, gossiping; dogs are bickering, chickens scratching in the dirt. When it hatched, it grew up like other chickens, picking and scratching for food. Throwing scratch grain around will get the hens scratching, which will fluff up the bedding and keep it well mixed. She could here the birds scratching at the ground outside her tent, the leaves on on the tree by the door blowing in the brisk wind. These birds didn't even scratch the ground for food, practicing normal foraging behavior. You'll feel a smug warmth every time you pass a broiler chicken house and think of your own happy, healthy poultry scratching in the dust at home. They can scratch in the ground and eat seeds and bugs as well as their regular chicken feed. Several chickens scratched about outside what appeared to be a chicken coop. Hens enjoy scratching, preening and dustbathing and the deep straw covered floor encourages these social activities. I looked at a few hens scratching in the grit at the hut's door. Typically feeding on the ground, they uncover food by scratching with their feet or digging with their bills. She lowered her head and scratched in the dirt with her horn. Chickens scratched in the company of a stately, gruff-voiced, very respectable pig, rooting under a walnut tree. 1.8scratch forno object Search for (someone or something that is hard to locate or find) 寻觅（难找的人或物） he's still scratching around for a woman to share his life 他还在四处寻找可以与其共同生活的女人。 Example sentencesExamples Look for the team to get better at scratching for runs with bunts and the hit-and-run. Sometimes you have to grind out a result and we did that, we fought and scratched for it. Since it struck in the early '80s, researchers have scratched for a vaccine or a cure but in vain. I don't imagine them scratching for similes or phrasing and rephrasing until each sentence sings. The Caribbean has been scratching for its economic niche for a long time. When journalists were scratching for stories, the Greens’ drug policy was all but a godsend. This sudden reduction in wealth should leave more than a few folks scratching for cash and looking to sell property. Will this project encourage the creation of new and original art; or will it simply boost the local economy and leave artists scratching for the remaining crumbs? Even their own publicity department was scratching for things to say. Improvident tax cuts by state legislatures and faltering investment returns have left educational institutions, both public and private, scratching for every nickel and dime. They're certain they're doing good work but they're scratching for funding. We didn't end up finding anything for him - I was scratching for suggestions, trying to get him thinking. But on a slow news day, when you're scratching around for something to fill the bulletin with, you decide to turn the shoddy release into 20 seconds of copy. You're scratching for things to do outside of the actual working part of the day. He is going to be in your face, pushing the norm, scratching for revenues, defying you to slap him down and shut him up. She understands she's been an attractive target for journalists scratching for the next headline. Developers are expected to be able to dig and scratch for information. Synonyms search, hunt (around), cast about/around/round, rummage (around), forage (about), poke around/about, scrabble, grub about/around, root (around), scavenge, fish about/around, rake around, feel around, grope (around), nose around/about/round, ferret (about/around) 1.9 Accomplish (something) with great effort or difficulty. 奋力完成 Tabitha wondered how long the woman had been scratching a living on the waterways 塔比瑟不知道那个女人已经靠这条水道坚持生活多久了。 Example sentencesExamples The Mariners and the Tigers scratch out their runs with bunts, strings of hits and a willingness to move the runners. I know they've scratched out two wins in a row, but we feel confident in ourselves. Gradually the West Mayo team got a foothold and they scratched out three points before the break to give themselves a chance. He may not have felt so desperate if poverty hadn't forced him into exile: illegal, paralysed, scratching a living for the smallest slice of pie. Hendley held out hope the rest of the night that the Cubs might scratch out a run, but saw those hopes diminish rapidly as Koufax got stronger and stronger. From nowhere, she started scratching out a reasonable living. The Redskins have been in the play-offs just once since Gibbs left and have scratched out one winning season since 1997. Now it's six years later and he is scratching a living predicting sports results. Only if you were born and brought up unbeknown to the world in the darkness of deepest Dalby Forest, scratching a living from the land would you be truly a non-person. The general impression one gets is that Morse accepts the persistent stereotype of the solitary miner scratching out a meager existence largely on his own. The rare few that still survived clung on at the edge of society, scratching a living from what little they could find in their woodland domains. Many cities were said to be turning into ghost towns, with some five to seven million people living precariously on the breadline, scratching out an existence from one day to the next. Failing to scratch out a run against a starter such as Kip Wells is much different than what happened Sunday. Fifty per cent of Madagascar's population earn less than one US dollar per year, scratching a living from the parched red earth or feeding themselves by fishing. Keep the Twins close and hope their teammates scratch out enough runs to win. Oldham continue to scratch out wins - can they keep it going all season or will their luck change? Residents scratch out a living amid blocks of abandoned, boarded up, burned-out row houses and vacant warehouses. We think that our people were made for better things than scratching a living from tourism. The band still had to deal with the problem of coming off the payroll and switching from playing large venues to rolling round the club circuit, scratching a living. As late as the 1850s, people scratched out a bare existence by soaking up surface oil from springs around Oil Creek in Pennsylvania. Synonyms scrape, scratch, scrimp 1.10scratch alongno object Make a living with difficulty. 艰难生活 many architects now scratch along doing loft conversions 现在许多建筑师靠改建阁楼维持生计。 Example sentencesExamples He was working ‘for those toiling and unemployed millions who do not get even a square meal a day and have to scratch along with a piece of stale roti and a pinch of salt.’ A few of them earn quite well, but most scratch along putting in long hours and earning no more than average wages. 2with object Cancel or strike out (writing) with a pen or pencil. 划掉 the name of Dr McNab was scratched out and that of Dr Dunstaple substituted 麦克纳布博士的名字被划掉了，代替他的是登斯特布尔博士。 Example sentencesExamples It's full of marks and words that are scratched out here and there. Nerissa shrugged in return as she scratched out whatever it had been that she'd been drawing. It had over a dozen different words written on it and all were scratched out except for the last. It is an explanation consistent with the typing of his name on the deed only to be scratched out and Adam's name written in. The postcard itself has a postmark from 1958 and has some writing on it which is still visible, even though violently scratched out. Someone, however, scratched out ‘Briefing Room’ with a large black marker. This really was not a document that could be just quickly scratched out and rewritten. This guy then scratched out his name on the script and put down his girlfriend's name. Forthworth took a pen out of his pocket, and scratched out the part about sustaining life. Underneath, ineptly scratched out, three telltale words are still discernible: ‘Made in Taiwan’. The rest I put back into their boxes, scratched out my address and replaced it with theirs, and sent them off. Her name had been scratched out and all the evidence of her reign was deposited in one location. I borrowed the nametag keeper's pen and scratched out as much of the name on the tag as I could, attempting to replace it with my actual, real name. I furiously scratched out what I had just written in the notebook, and replaced it with more than just a few malicious thoughts. Later, when they checked his wallet, they found that he had scratched out his address in his passport and any other details that would have helped them contact his family. She - I assumed it was a she - had scratched out the original name and put her own name in its place. She scratched out that box and ticked the third one as the more accurate. Possessed only of his passport, from which he scratched out his home address, Kahn remained unidentified for several days in the city morgue. I scoffed as Cale jotted down one line beneath the twenty scratched out ones. He scratched out the notes on the paper he had made and began to write new ones. Synonyms cross out, strike out, score out, delete, erase, remove, strike off, eliminate, cancel, expunge, obliterate 2.1 Withdraw (a competitor) from a competition. 取消（选手）参赛资格 Jolie's Halo was scratched from a minor stakes race at Monmouth Park 若利的哈罗被取消了参加蒙茅斯公园少年下赌注马赛的资格。 Example sentencesExamples Jeter was the starter in last year's All-Star Game at Turner Field, but only because Rodriguez had to be scratched from the game due to injury. Wells suffered a strained left groin muscle during a May 23 start at Toronto and was scratched from his next outing. May was able to pitch but was scratched because of a renewed muscle tweak. Subsequent bulletins were upbeat but a muscle problem would not dissipate and, a further ten days later, Yeats was scratched from the Derby. Alabama Stakes winner Island Fashion was one of five fillies scratched from the race. Last year French was banned from racing for two years and scratched from Olympic competition for life. Garcia was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to the injuries he sustained on his left hand, but will be available later in the series. McKee thought he would play in the next game, but Ruff scratched him again. Some will be scratched; others will play through the pain. The German was branded a cheat and scratched from that year's drivers' championship for unsportsmanlike conduct. Speedy Punta, a six-year-old gelding by Punta Arenas, was tested on course and scratched from his intended race. He was scratched from the lineup yesterday and was walking stiffly as the result of having his neck and back taped up. Injuries have played a part - he was scratched from a start earlier this week with a sore right shoulder. Two of the original four West Virginia-breds were scratched from the event. She was scratched out of Friday's Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill in favor of Saturday's race. Failure to play before the deadline may result in both players being scratched from the competition without notice. Shine Again is a half sister to four-year-old Shiny Band, who was scratched from the First Flight. The committee have decided that players who have not played the games by that date will be automatically scratched from the competition. The club can afford to be careful with RHP Jason Schmidt, who was scratched from his start Sunday because of elbow tendinitis. The match was abandoned, Palmeiras-B was scratched from the tournament by IFA and the title went to the city giant. Synonyms withdraw, pull out (of), back out (of), bow out (of), stand down, give up, leave, quit 2.2no object (of a competitor) withdraw from a competition. 取消（选手）参赛资格 due to a knee injury she was forced to scratch from the race 由于膝盖受伤，她不得不退出比赛。 Example sentencesExamples Only four of the original 15 entrants scratched out of the race, which was contested over a muddy track. Only seven older fillies and mares contested the Eatontown after six entrants scratched from the race, run over a soft turf course. He scratched too from an exhibition match after the ladies final of the US Open. Both silver medalists at the Athens Olympics have had to scratch from their event. He advanced to the semi-finals in the former and to the finals in the latter, then scratched from both events in order to focus on other upcoming swims. 2.3 Cancel or abandon (an undertaking or project) 取消；放弃（任务，项目） banks seem prepared to scratch stabilization charges 银行似乎准备放弃稳值收费。 Example sentencesExamples Wednesday's launch was scratched because of a reading of low current from a battery system on the rocket's second stage. York RI will also play a fixture originally scratched because of poor weather when they travel to Northallerton in Yorkshire Three. Actually, scratch that, it sounds too much like we live in a lost and found shoebox. Oh wait scratch that I do plan ahead. Synonyms call off, abandon, scrap, drop 3no object Play a record using the scratch technique. he raps and scratches simultaneously to dazzling effect See scratch (sense 2 of the noun) Example sentencesExamples While the concept is a good one, Swift over-emphasizes breaks and scratching at the expense of vocals and harmonies. Beginning with DJ Olive's wavering synthetic tones, shouts, drums and scratching follow to form a sonic melee with an appreciable sense of forward motion. Young people are invited to attend workshops and master classes in everything from graffiti art to hip-hop and urban dance to scratching and break dancing. The act consists of three men dressed in tails and armed with violins bow in synch with turntable scratching. If your composition involves scratching and sampling, all to the good. The group's music policy is a mixture of funk, hip hop and 80s disco blended with scratching and a touch of Latin, house and techno. Shakespearean rhyming couplets have been adapted for rap with an on-stage DJ scratching, beatboxing and grooving right along with the performers. It was using a sample that sounded somewhere between vinyl scratching and cool drum beats. I'm chopping up and scratching more - it's like I'm a new DJ again. Instead, Teeba does his talking with his turntables, scratching with great dexterity and impeccable rhythmic flair. In fact, there is more scratching on this CD than on any I have heard in recent years. Photography became the snapshot and photo album; newspapers became fuel for fanzines, and the vinyl record became a tool for scratching and sampling. I was also mesmerised by scratching once I got decks at 17, so I was just away in my room experimenting. The combo of bongo drums and some sharp scratching from DJ Kilmore was pretty impressive. The Tory leader had a go at scratching and mixing on record decks when he visited the Fusion Project to talk to young people. It's got scratching, it's got acoustic guitars. She lets each song breathe, adding in conga solos, DJ scratching and trumpets from her tightly synched seven-member band. The album, which mixes rap lyrics, hip-hop beats, scratching, samples and live guitar, is now available to local people. When I work with Obscure, I try to think of what can be done with scratching on this record that hasn't been done before. Much has been made of his ability to make his toggle switch sound like a DJ scratching. noun skratʃskrætʃ 1A mark or wound made by scratching. 划伤，擦伤 the scratches on her arm were throbbing 她手臂上的划伤阵阵抽痛。 Example sentencesExamples These scratch marks, which resemble fine brown hairs, are always located on the upper third of the flower. Scratch marks will usually go away one or two weeks after treatment. The black scuff marks and smaller scratches left last Friday night don't bother me as much - they're merely cosmetic. If the flooring has spillage marks or deep scratches then get these attended to as quickly as possible. We had to apply it liberally on all wounds, even minor scratches and mosquito bites. Which card is more likely to be marked by nicks and scratches on its edges? This speed assures elimination of swirl marks and scratches in the wood. Conjunctivitis may also occur due to allergies or from a scratch on the surface of the eye. The films are not well preserved, so there are plenty of scratches and burn marks, and dirt on the prints. His black shirt was torn, leaving her with a good look at his chest, filled with scratches and wounds. Jodi had several scratches on her arms and, Vaughn assumed, on her legs as well. With scratches and flaws marking up the picture, I'm sad to report that this picture is sub-par. Her fingers brushed against the smooth glass of the jewel and she withdrew it, carefully inspecting it for chips or scratches. He assured me that no-one will ever notice the small scratch mark he was able to make. Any scratch, dent or mark, however little, is taken note of and fixed. My knees were bruised from tripping, and my arms and legs had scratches from tree branches that reached as far as they could to grab travelers. Her arms were covered in scratches and there was one extremely deep one that was still seeping some blood. Traditional machines have individual grinding heads that travel in their own radius, leaving scratches or permanent marks. Notice the puncture marks, scratches and big gash all the way to the lower right Because granite is melted rock, it has uniform properties, which makes it quite hard and resistant to scratches. Synonyms score, mark, line, abrasion, scrape, scuff, laceration, groove, gash, gouge 1.1informal in singular A slight or insignificant wound or injury. 〈非正式〉轻伤 it's nothing—just a scratch 没什么-一点擦伤。 Example sentencesExamples A driver who escaped without a scratch when his car plunged 50 feet down a moorland ravine has told of his amazing escape. My husband and daughter died instantly, but the truck driver came out without a scratch. He later crashed one of his planes at Victoria River Downs Station but walked away from it without a scratch. I spent a year in Vietnam and came home without a scratch. The men advance towards her and she single-handedly knocks all of them to the ground escaping without a scratch. Not too many people have their motorcycles ripped out from under them at 65 mph, in heavy traffic, and escape without a scratch. Thankfully this man was apprehended safely and all the officers were able to walk away without a scratch. Fry emerged from the incident without a scratch, but the concussion of the explosion was felt some 2,000 feet away, at the starting line. The plan was to find her and bring her back without a scratch. Have you ever been in an accident where you should've been hurt, even killed- and came out with only small injuries, or without a scratch? In the fight with the police officer, Will, he had gotten hurt more than a slight bit while Will didn't have a scratch on him. Year after year, however, millions of people enjoy themselves outdoors and return home without a scratch. In fact, he leaves the accident without a scratch on him. He got out of it without a scratch, but the car was totalled, and it was a hundred and something thousand dollars worth of car. But if I'd had to, I could have driven three times that long and gotten both of us out of there without a scratch. She then proceeded to spend a homeless night in strange surroundings out in the cold before being found, without a scratch on her, by her worried owners. The newspapers were filled with images of people buried in rubble, yet walking away without a scratch. Dozens of rounds of ammo, bombs and even cannonballs are fired at the trio, yet don't produce one scratch. However, people in movies routinely jump through plate glass windows without receiving a single scratch. She told them she was fine; that she'd only gotten a scratch. Synonyms graze, scrape, abrasion, cut, laceration, wound 1.2in singular An act or spell of scratching oneself to relieve itching. 搔痒 he gave his scalp a good scratch 他使劲地挠头皮。 Example sentencesExamples Truman meowed again and accepted the offered scratch behind the ears with great appreciation. His tweed cap was removed only occasionally, and only long enough for a frustrated head scratch. The women resume their conversation and the dogs, no longer interested in each other have a scratch or look for more interesting smells to divert their attention. When you've got an itch on your back you'll do anything for a scratch and there's not much in the ocean to rub against. I gave Wilma one last scratch behind the ear, and I ran downstairs. I picked up the paper clip as my mind told me ‘Just one little scratch wont hurt.’ She joked, reaching down to give the beast a scratch behind the ears. 1.3 A rasping or grating noise produced by something rubbing against a hard surface. 发出刮擦声 the scratch of a match lighting a cigarette 划着火柴点烟。 Example sentencesExamples Acoustic and seismic listening device: extremely sensitive tool which can hear the slightest tap or scratch of a trapped person. George on the camera is a genius and Frank on sound could make a chalk scratch on a blackboard sound like music. The same answer came and the scratch of a pen followed. The only other noises were the scratches of the rats claws as they helped themselves to whatever was stored in their sanctuary. A few moments later I heard the scratch of a match against a striker, then smelled the sweet acrid aroma of marijuana. The last ten minutes were silent broken only by the scratch of a pencil. It was just a scratch on the door, a muffled noise, and a little flashlight waving at the end of the hall. He could hear the scratch of her pencil, and the air moving past the car. Maybe it was fifteen minutes later when the scratch at the flimsy door disturbed us. I then heard the scratch of a match against its box. There was a scratch at the door and the butler announced another visitor. On the recording, however, I keep hearing the surreptitious scratch of a lighter. Embedded within Pole's framework of clicks, snaps and scratches are subtle yet absorbing layers of sound. A moment later we heard the unmistakable scratch of the front door closing, and the quiet start of an engine. You need the right song to remix because there are certain ones that aren't constructed to add bleeps, scratches or a constant thumping bass line. First came the sound of voices outside, a familiar chitter of laughter, then the scratch at the door. Beeps, clicks and scratches run underneath - and alongside - strings, stand-up bass and a variety of percussion. She was still holding the book and just staring at it when a scratch sounded at the door. She crawled back into bed when she heard a scratch at her bedroom door. Synonyms grate, grating, creak, creaking, grind, grinding, jar, jarring, rasp, rasping, scratching, rub, rubbing, squeak, squeaking, screech, screeching 1.4mass noun A rough hiss, caused by the friction of the stylus in the groove, heard when a record is played. 唱片的嚓嚓声（指唱片纹道与唱针的摩擦噪声） Example sentencesExamples Yes, they were free from the scratches, clicks and pops that plagued records, but otherwise perfect they weren't. For all that we now quest for absolute fidelity in recordings, I like the comforting scratch of an old record. The sound quality is fine, much as it was on the original LPs - minus the surface noise and scratches, however. The scratches and surface noise of Jeck's vinyl further emphasise this notion. 2mass noun A technique, used especially in rap music, of stopping a record by hand and moving it back and forwards to give a rhythmic scratching effect. 刮擦（多用于快板乐中，用手制止唱片转动，使其来回移动发出有节奏的嚓嚓声的技巧） as modifier a scratch mix Example sentencesExamples Jill Scott opens the disc, crooning over a hip-hop bassline and vinyl scratches. No need to say a little prayer for local hip hop DJ and scratch vet Raf Kerwin, aka D.R. One, because he's doing just fine on his own. With the scratch specialist Picklez gone, there opened a vacancy for the world's top turntablist crew. Do you find it hard to beat juggle and scratch as opposed to blending the records to entertain the crowds? Talented DJ's have their own style and Q-Bert is a scratch DJ. I know every single scratch, every beat, every scream from the crowd. With an intro that's absolute insane scratch work, Flow maintains a feverish and surprisingly melodic tempo throughout the set. Many of the songs are laced with clever hip hop asides and contain every conceivable type of bleep, scratch and vocal distortion known to nu-metal man. There's also rock, funk and turntable scratches thrown in for good measure. Many amazing comments come from a remarkably sane Genesis P-Orridge while Carl Craig sums up turntablism perfectly as Kid Koala gets his scratch on. From the first scratch to the last, this album is dope. Anyone acquainted with the world of the scratch DJ will understand that it is manly in the way that Hobbyland is manly. Joining them as musical director is local scratch wizard DJ Pocket, who provides a wide mash of musical styles and obscure sounds. Julie is not just a DJ, but a scratch DJ. Hip Hop and Jazz tunes were superbly mixed with turntable scratch and an infectious piano line that dictate the film's progression. He turns up the volume as far as it will go and drags his nail over the microphone, pushing the medium to its limits with a sort of scratch sound. 3mass noun (in sport) the starting point in a race for a competitor that is not given a handicap or advantage. a 631-metres handicap, when the excellent stayer, Too Fast, will be off scratch Example sentencesExamples Faced with having to give them a head-start of 7, he called it evens and had them starting at scratch instead. Start and scratch is 6.45 pm, with venues to be announced at a later date. 3.1Golf A handicap of zero, indicating that a player is good enough to achieve par on a course. 〔高尔夫〕零让步（表明选手不弱，能在场上达到规定击球的次数） he plays off scratch in University golf Example sentencesExamples But having reached a handicap of scratch by the age of 16, the US college student decided his future lay on the fairways and not the football park. He went part-time at Springfield Park, where he works in the shop, to concentrate on his game and has reduced his ranking to scratch. The others are to play for the county girls and seniors and get my handicap down from six to scratch. Little Amy, 13, who receives England ‘birdie’ training, wants to get down to scratch. I aim to get my handicap down to scratch by the end of next year. 4informal mass noun Money. 〈非正式〉钱 he was working to get some scratch together 他正在干活攒钱。 Example sentencesExamples As for material resources, some bloggers are now able to earn some scratch, but this is an effect rather than a cause of their success. A guy could have quite the weekend in Vegas with that kind of scratch. Many owners suspect, of course, that as the refs demand full-time wages, their true plan is to take the added scratch and keep the other jobs anyway. The film makes it very clear that, without some scratch, there is no influence and very little indiscriminate sex. By '99 they saved up enough scratch to record a full-length album, Rock and Roll Port Three. The upside is that with so much freelance work crammed into a short amount of time, it will bring in a fair amount of scratch. I'm a grad student right now, so I don't have a lot of scratch to work with. Unfortunately, the good mayor's policy of using municipal scratch to buy staff birthday goodies and Christmas presents has also faded into the tundra. I've done some columns, I've had some freelance gigs, and Smith has gotten me some scratch working for the Internet site. The film debut was still a bright spot this weekend and the film will likely sweep up some decent scratch over the coming weeks. The singer plans to make some serious scratch overseas doing promotional work. Synonyms cash, hard cash, ready money adjective skratʃskrætʃ 1attributive Assembled or made from whatever is available, and so unlikely to be of the highest quality. 仓促拼凑的；匆匆组成的 City were fielding a scratch squad 城市队派遣上场的是一支临时凑合的球队。 Example sentencesExamples He is, he says, not remotely put off by the ease with which a scratch side with ‘no gameplan and a smattering of hangovers’ dismantled Scotland on Thursday night. A scratch crew from the rest of current affairs had to do the job instead. As a lad in Clifton in York, others recalled how he had insisted everyone wore white for scratch cricket matches. An allconquering Trinity side from the 1970s is to be pitted against a scratch team of young hopefuls. As a result of a threatened boycott by the former dictator's defence team, the trial may have to take place with a scratch team of lawyers appointed by the court itself. Lown bowls weekly in a scratch league at the Gold Coast in Las Vegas and carried a 189 average last season. Captain Phillips was not aboard for her last voyage in 1984, which was with a scratch crew taking her to be scrapped. Glass was taking courses at KU, so he joined a scratch league at the student union. There followed a scurry round to assemble a scratch team, kit them up, organise travel arrangements etc. Unfortunately, however, the year 2000 saw the demise of what has been known as the most influential scratch crew ever. And then he did it again, leading the scratch platoon he had formed on to its objective. After a blistering start, the scratch group of riders caught the rest of the field with two laps to go. Bringing up the rear of the field was scratch man John Pearson. The UK's greatest scratch DJ crew will bring two hours of the finest UK and US hip hop with incredible turntable skills. Bath took the game to the Italians with a scratch squad and did so with such determination that there was never any argument about this result. With the pitch already booked but no one to play, word reached the Lashings pub, where a scratch team was hastily put together among staff and regulars. 2attributive (of a sports competitor or event) with no handicap given. （选手，赛事）没有让步优待的 he was a scratch player at many courses Example sentencesExamples He has won most of the honours that the game has to offer and in his prime was almost a scratch player. But it's his sense of humour that shines through, and he brings that to the very serious world of scratch masters. He was a scratch player at 12 and had a stellar international record as an amateur. I won't get the benefit of those eighteen shots because it is a scratch event but at least I could make an attempt at qualifying. She joined Clitheroe Golf Club at the age of eight and became a scratch golfer three weeks after her 16th birthday. Other notables were Mick, who talked the golf crew through 18 holes of scratch golf. A scratch golfer who mixes freely with professionals in that game, McGwire is a good judge of what he sees and hears around the circuit. It doesn't matter if you're a duffer or a scratch golfer, there are a wide variety of courses with unique layouts and challenges for golfers of all skill levels. He was also an avid golfer and as long as most can remember was close to being a scratch player. Ludwell went on to become a scratch golfer and made many appearances for Yorkshire. But look at the difference between a 9-handicapper and a scratch golfer. Although the event is scratch matchplay, Air Force golfers on handicaps up to 18 are encouraged to nominate. She knows if it wasn't for the support of her parents she would not be a scratch golfer now contemplating the possibility of turning professional. How difficult, while still being fair, is the course for the scratch player from the back tees? Lount, who has been a member at Pike Hills for eight years and first played in the Yorkshire Order of Merit in 2002, is now a scratch golfer but has no plans to turn professional. Paul, who is already a scratch golfer, is the grandson of well-known Newbridge man Tommy O Hanlon. On Sunday a minor/intermediate scratch cup takes place. I never ever did beat Jonno off a scratch event, but Harry used to make sure that Jon always gave me a start and I'd get the best out of myself by trying to stay in front. Some of us may never be able to hit the ball as accurately, powerfully or consistently as a scratch player, but with work, we can realistically hope to putt like one. There is a massive difference between being a scratch golfer at home and playing the difficult courses from the back tees! Phrases from scratch From the very beginning, especially without making use of or relying on any previous work for assistance. 从零开始，从头做起；白手起家 he built his own computer company from scratch 他白手起家，建起了自己的电脑公司。 Example sentencesExamples The two of them wrote the show from scratch, ensured they got all the best lines and threw in deft ad-libs as required. The idea is to start from scratch and make the best use of the site. I have never had any general fight training, so each time I have to wield a weapon I start from scratch. It takes three years for a farmer to develop a bamboo plantation from scratch. Mr Khan built up his company from scratch and now employs more than 20 people. Erase everything on the computer's hard drive and start over from scratch. Native programmers are used to support or maintain current systems, not to produce new ones from scratch. It is a direct reversal of the previous policy where SAS would build its own tools from scratch. This would give it a cheaper entry to the market, although it would have to start from scratch in building a customer base. They tested the time it took to mix a cake from a packet and from scratch and the home baked one took only 10 minutes longer. scratch a — and find a — Used to suggest that an investigation of someone or something soon reveals their true nature. 指揭露某人或某事真面目的调查除去…的假象你将发现…的本质 he had been taught to believe “scratch a pious man and find a hypocrite.” scratch one's head 1informal Think hard in order to find a solution to something. 〈非正式〉冥思苦想问题的解答 winemakers are scratching their heads for an alternative term Example sentencesExamples The first big betting race of the year come our way this weekend when the Pierse Hurdle will again draw a big field and have punters scratching their heads to find the winner. Purists in the audience were observed scratching their heads, trying to figure out a way to appreciate the ‘exotic’ composition. A greedy otter has left a Preston grandfather scratching his head for a solution to stop the animal slinking into his pond to eat his fish. Still scratching your head over holiday gift ideas for that special someone on your list? The shop is not selling the album until staff have a better idea of what they've got, but it's not the first time they've found themselves scratching their heads over a potential vinyl windfall. After scratching my head for a bit I realized when she wrote site your sources, what she really meant was ‘Please write the title of Samuel Seabury's pamphlet when you refer to it.’ When next we head to the polls, I may find myself scratching my head in search of a political party that might be worthy of my support. Local school board members in Charlotte County are left scratching their heads, wondering how they will fit the class into an already full day. You're probably scratching your head even harder wondering why Merrill Lynch is talking about the impact that acquiring Red Hat may or may not have on Sun. I spent a few hours scratching my head and looking for a cryptic code which might shed light on where this maverick genius is getting his ideas from. Synonyms think hard, put one's mind to something, give much thought to something, concentrate, try to remember, puzzle over something, cudgel one's brains, furrow one's brow 1.1Feel or express bewilderment. 感到（或表示）困惑 art lovers have been left scratching their heads over an exhibition of kissing toothbrushes Example sentencesExamples Here it is, the story that had all of us scratching our heads and made everyone in the newsroom say, ‘What The?’ Despite being a hamlet for more than 100 years, Tiddleywink has been omitted from maps and postmen are frequently left scratching their heads in confusion as to where it is. If this leaves you scratching your head, you're not the first. It all moves along pretty fast, and with no track listing to speak of, don't be surprised in the least if you find yourself scratching your head. But sometimes, you're just left scratching your head. Quit scratching your heads and wondering who he was. Three decades later, we are still scratching our heads. But in a lapse that has some people scratching their heads, it failed to budget for any aid to Afghanistan in this year's spending plans. He must be scratching his head in bewilderment. A word of warning watching this film: don't take your eyes off it for a moment or you'll be left scratching your head. Synonyms struggle mentally, be out of one's depth, be in the dark, have difficulty, be confounded, be confused, be dumbfounded scratch the surface 1Deal with a matter only in the most superficial way. 浅尝；触及表面 research has only scratched the surface of the paranormal 研究仅涉及超正常范围的表面。 Example sentencesExamples As a matter of fact, most so called health nuts don't even scratch the surface of healthy living anyway, no matter how much they can bench press. Yet, so far, it seems Stanford has only begun to scratch the surface in terms of its programmatic and curricular activities on matters Indian. This is only scratching the surface - there are literally hundreds more one could list, but these are some of the ones I deem most significant for the reasons given. Without an understanding of the experiential learning process, the surface of knowledge and learning are only scratched. In the space allotted for this article, I can scratch only the surface of each profiled editor. Having been here only 9 months I am still only scratching the surface and finding many delights are hidden below the superficial facade. Yet even as he was speaking, aid agencies were warning the deal would only scratch the surface. The U.N. has introduced a new mechanism for Afghanistan to deal with this latter problem, but it only scratches the surface of what is really required. If I well understood the spirit of the article, both Romanians and Bulgarians should go deeper than scratching on surface in knowing each other. We are only scratching the surface by helping these 350 tortoises, but it is far better that they are in experienced hands than in the hands of smugglers. 2Initiate the briefest investigation to discover something concealed. 进行简短调查 they have a boring image but scratch the surface and it's fascinating 它们有种令人生厌的形象，可是一旦调查起来，却很令人着迷。 Example sentencesExamples Just double underline that we are still scratching the surface, we have a long way to go. I believe we're just scratching the surface in our investigation and a lot more will come out. We're scratching at the surface of his character here. It is obvious that this figure only scratches the surface of movie piracy when a five year old can download the latest Teletubbies movie over the Internet. As reporters, journalists in Australia and England and I were to detail over the next year, that initial series only scratched the surface. Over all the years, science has made more and more discoveries - yet still hasn't scratched the surface of nature's wonders. Miller said: ‘We haven't even scratched the surface of what we can do with an ear of corn.’ Now police fear the investigation has only scratched at the surface of the problem. He felt that he wasn't even scratching the surface of animal trafficking, which is why he decided to join forces with other groups. The Policing Board member commented: ‘We haven't even scratched the surface of sectarianism yet, nor are we tackling it in any strategic way.’ up to scratch Up to the required standard; satisfactory. 达到标准的；令人满意的 her German was not up to scratch 她的德语还不行。 Example sentencesExamples If it's not quite up to scratch, £1,000 invested in getting it to look its best could make a big difference. Tony says that he is feeling ‘fine’ at the moment and that he is trying to keep his health and fitness up to scratch. For instance, the sound system was not up to scratch and I did not feel comfortable performing with bad sound. It's nice to know that someone thinks my writing is up to scratch! There are many cases on record of writers who have written three or four novels before they produced one which even they thought was up to scratch. We say so because responses to emergencies like fire outbreaks and accidents are simply not up to scratch. The light must be bright to help you adjust, Standard indoor lighting is not up to scratch. To do that, they need the money to bring those services up to scratch. Irish schools require an investment programme amounting to an estimated 2.5 billion to bring them up to scratch. Are spelling standards and vocabulary up to scratch in Southland schools? Synonyms good enough, up to the mark, up to standard, up to par, satisfactory, acceptable, adequate, passable, sufficient, competent, all right you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours proverb If you do me a favour, I'll return it. 〈谚〉你帮我，我帮你；投我以桃，报之以李 Example sentencesExamples The amalgamated union of executive and non-executive directors represents a friendly society which operates on the basis of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’. In short, I would prefer honest reviews over the watered-down "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’ kind. ‘Cooperative’ partnership may be an underused form of relationship between organisations, although it uses mechanisms by which lots of individual business gets done: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. The idea behind this goes back to you scratch my back I scratch yours. A state that is run according to the principle of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’ does not possess the authority required for carrying out ‘painful cuts’. This statement expresses the real relations between the trade unions and management: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. What is so objectionable is the cosiness of it all: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. It's a story of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.’ She said the concept is based on the saying, ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’. Derivatives scratcher noun Eight had chronic otorrhea or previous surgery, two were long-term hearing aid wearers, and one was an habitual ear scratcher. Example sentencesExamples Seven years on at the age of 24, the self-taught scratcher is a familiar face on the South Lakeland music scene. It came across as something of a head scratcher, like a grouchy surfer getting territorial over an epic swell. They began digging in their spot, wielding nothing more sophisticated than garden scratchers and shovels. He dug with a scratcher to reveal the outlines of a boulder approximately 12 x 18 x 10 inches in size. Origin Late Middle English: probably a blend of the synonymous dialect words scrat and cratch, both of uncertain origin; compare with Middle Low German kratsen and Old High German krazzōn. Two English dialect words with the same meaning, scrat and cratch, probably combined to form scratch in the medieval period. The origins of from scratch, ‘from the very beginning, without making use of any previous work’, lie in the sporting world. In the past certain sports such as cycling and running sometimes used a particular handicap system. A line or mark, known as the scratch, was drawn to indicate the starting position for all competitors except those who had been awarded an advantage: they were allowed to start a little way in front. So a competitor starting from scratch would start from a position without any advantage. The expression up to scratch, meaning ‘up to the required standard’, also comes from this practice, as originally it referred to someone who was good enough to start from the scratch line. Napoleon had bad experiences in Russia. In 1812 the severity of the Russian winter and the resistance of the Russian people forced his retreat from Moscow. Of the Russians Napoleon is reported to have said ‘scratch the Russian and you will find the Tartar’. Whether or not this is true, from 1823 the saying is referred to in English, and people began to use the formula scratch X and find Y of other nationalities and persons. George Bernard Shaw wrote in St Joan in 1924: ‘Scratch an Englishman, and find a Protestant’, while Dorothy Parker wrote in 1937 ‘Scratch a lover, and find a foe’. Rhymes attach, batch, catch, crosshatch, detach, hatch, latch, match, mismatch, natch, outmatch, patch, thatch verb.1 phr. Definition of scratch in US English: scratch verbskrætʃskraCH 1with object Score or mark the surface of (something) with a sharp or pointed object. 刮擦 the car's paintwork was battered and scratched 汽车的油漆被刮擦得斑驳不堪。 no object he scratched at a stain on his jacket 他刮擦着夹克衫上的污渍。 Example sentencesExamples Never use abrasives on either anodized or painted surfaces as they will scratch it. Early treatises advise rubbing the surface with garlic, but more usually the panel was scratched slightly to provide some tooth to which the paint can adhere. The outside edges on my ring come to pretty sharp 90 degree angle and I've scratched a few windows including a car windshield with it. Place a canvas drop cloth over the floor of the tub or shower to protect the surface from the sand-like grout that can scratch it. How to clean leather with serious grease or oil stains without scratching the fabric is simple. Blow or tip these shavings from your material at regular intervals: never use a brush as this could badly scratch your surface. Use a narrow wooden spatula or similar tool that won't scratch the wok's cooking surface. An unexpected sharp vibration can cause the head to crash onto the surface of the disk, gouging it like a phonograph needle can scratch a record. As you can see in the picture below, a deliberate attempt to damage the mousing surface by scratching it with a key caused very little damage. He scratched a match across the surface of the table and lit his pipe. I'm not sure if it's the shipping, but our base was scratched pretty badly. Cases hitting the ground will inevitably pick up grit that can scratch the inside of the die and leave a mark on every case loaded. In May vandals went on the rampage trashing cars in a spate of incidents on the estates, including smashing windows, slashing sunroofs, tyres and scratching paintwork. On my return I found that my vehicle was scratched with what seems to be a very sharp instrument - perhaps a nail - from the front fender to the back tail gate. When the businessman returned to his car, however, he found that one of the locals had taken a nail to it, badly scratching the paint. When you rent DVDs, how on earth do you manage to scratch them up so badly? Don't try to remove it all by scraping or you will scratch the surfaces. He still had on some armor that covered his rather muscular physique, but it was scratched and dented pretty badly. Let only the flat edge of the blade touch the surface to prevent scratching it. I check whether I'm still able to judge speed and distance accurately by making sure I can get my car key in the door lock without breaking it or scratching the paintwork. Synonyms score, abrade, scrape, roughen, scuff, scuff up, lacerate, groove, gash, engrave, incise, gouge 1.1 Make a long, narrow superficial wound in the skin of. 划伤皮肤 her arms were scratched by the thorns 她的双臂被荆棘划伤了。 I scratched myself on the tree 我被树划伤了。 Example sentencesExamples Curious, she looked at her arms, they too were scratched and bruised, but only slightly. The branches were scratching the two men's arms as they went through the woods, one dragging the other. She sat down and looked to her arms, which had been bruised and scratched by the brush. In a minor scuffle with a thief, the colleague is wounded when a fellow passenger scratches him accidentally. His face was scratched and his robe was stained with crimson. His face, arms and legs were badly scratched and his clothes were torn. She told me that, without any warning, the cat had jumped on her, scratched her, and bitten her in the right arm. He has to wear tights on his legs and long sleeves on his arms on a hot Missouri day so he doesn't scratch himself. I punched and kicked and even resulted in petty hair pulling while she wildly thrashed her arms trying to scratch me. The 44-year-old housekeeper alleged Campbell punched and scratched her face so badly she went to hospital. She showed no sign of caring that her slim boyish legs, encased in her elder brothers khaki shorts, were being scratched by the thorns of the roses that she skedaddled past. He dropped one hand and the one on her chin was drawn away with the nails toward her skin, so he scratched her slightly. I am always stubbing my toe, smashing my arms against walls, tripping over, scratching myself. Wambach's skin had been scratched and bruised in several places. Their hair was messy, their clothes were ripped, their skin was dirty and scratched, and their eyes were dulled by the expression of misery. The black-haired boy looked as if he had died and come back to life - his lips were dry and cut, he had a black eye, and his cheek was scratched badly. Other weeds, including sand bur and thistle, can also scratch and irritate your skin. A branch scratched him on the arm, ripping lightly into his flesh and a skimpy drop of blood came out. He developed a facial infection after being scratched by a rose thorn. If your child cuts or scratches his or her skin, be sure to use soap and water to clean the area because open wounds are more susceptible to warts and other infections. Synonyms graze, scrape, abrade, rasp, skin, rub raw, cut, lacerate, bark, chafe, strip, flay, wound 1.2 Rub (a part of one's body) with one's fingernails to relieve itching. 搔痒 Jessica lifted her sunglasses and scratched her nose 杰西卡抬了抬太阳镜揉揉鼻子。 Example sentencesExamples ‘Uh, yea,’ Mark said scratching the back of his neck and walking closer to me. The more you thought about not scratching it, the worse it itched. She relaxed a bit, and lightly scratched her chin. Then it started on my face and some other parts of my body which you cannot scratch in public. He just nodded and looked out the window while scratching his lower/inner arm. Huck itches all over and tries not to scratch himself so he doesn't make any noise. ‘For the Love of Any Patron Saint that's in the area and available,’ said I, taking my hat off my head and scratching my forehead. My arms were around her waist, so I scratched her lower back softly. But even though I've stopped scratching it, it still hasn't healed. He unfolded his arms, and the landlord flinched in terror, but the hradani merely scratched his chin thoughtfully. ‘All done,’ he said happily, scratching his nose and laving a grease stain on the tip of it. I was itchy, but as soon as I would scratch my arms they would hurt like I had bruised them. Yawning, the teenage girl reached to scratch her neck, and felt the marks left there on her vein. Mark scratched the back of his head, a sure sign he was trying to come up with something to say. "Yeah, " Brandon nodded, absently scratching his ear. He is scratching his chin as he considers the question. I'm just scratching your back to make you feel more comfortable, " I explained. ‘No,’ said I scratching my shoulder and looking over at Poppy, my most excellent beagle, who was trying to catch a bumble bee. As he stood scratching his belly, dragging long sharp nails through the thin fur there, he decided that a simple favor was needed. He could not walk, talk, lift his arms, feed himself or scratch himself. Synonyms rub, claw, claw at, scrape, tear at 1.3 Make (a mark or hole) by scoring a surface with a sharp or pointed object. 刮擦 I found two names scratched on one of the windowpanes 我发现其中一面窗玻璃上刻着两个名字。 Example sentencesExamples Jamali also paints on cork, mixing pigments and scratching imagery onto the surface with sticks and his fingernails. Spread the fertilizer evenly around the plants and scratch it into the soil surface. Pictures of hunters were painted or scratched on cave walls all over the world. Returning on his own, he discovers a cellar scratched from the earth and covered with corrugated iron. She ran her hand against the steel plated walls and crouched down to see writings that had been scratched into the metal, probably with a knife. Engraving is done by scratching a drawing with a sharp tool on a metal sheet and then making a print from the scratched lines. Most often, the entire presentation surface of a redware object was covered with white slip, and a design was then scratched into the surface. Using a sharp instrument, Verster then draws and scratches patterns and images into this surface, revealing the strata of yellow beneath. Each seal has a series of lines of varying orientations scratched into its inside surface. To determine whether the liposomes spread onto the DPPA surface as a monolayer or bilayer, a defect was scratched into the lipid surface. After being air-dried, an awl or pointed stick could be used to scratch a simple design into the surface. A large red heart with the figure of a female nude scratched on the surface, was a favourite of his fiancée and was painted shortly after he met her. A while ago, while in Northern Ireland, I saw someone had scratched the name INLA into the wood of a door in a stall. He scratched his name into the silica surface in a popular act of vandalism. 1.4 Write (something) hurriedly or awkwardly. （匆忙或笨拙地）写 pass me my writing things—I'll scratch a few letters before I get up 把我的纸和笔递过来-我准备起床前赶写几封信。 Example sentencesExamples Yes, a dark-haired, humanly-dressed faerie was dragging the pen back and forth, scratching out words onto the paper. Near the end of the book with its empty gaping pages and neat writing was a verse scratched out with red pen. Andrew nodded, tore a page out of the sketch book in his pocket and scratched out his number with a stumpy pencil hooked in the books ring binder. He went on marking things down on his clipboard, violently scratching a multitude of checks and notations onto the paper. Lissie looked down at the poem she'd been scratching down. All it took was a few plays scratched out on Bowden's legal pad. Every time I took a 20-minute break from the books, I scratched out a few lines of code. They love to crunch numbers and scratch out mock drafts on legal pads at work. I grabbed a pen and scratched down ‘goodbye’ on a napkin. He scratched out his first poem while taking a break from failing a thermodynamics exam, on which he receive a nine out of a possible one hundred. She scratched out a note with a slightly shaky hand, folded it, and attached it to the leather straps tied to the skytyr's foot. Then the woman scratched out a note and placed it beneath the glass of water at his bedside. Then one of us scratched out some notes, the other one picked it up and ran with it a few more paces and, in the fullness of time, an essay emerged. Returning when she needed to the ink well, she scratched out her scribbling in a fine script that even the most cultured hand would envy. Hawksblade chuckled as he read the next line scratched out in ink. In fury Beethoven scratched out the dedication at the betrayal of his ideals. Then, driven by whatever strange spirit possesses them, they begin monitoring speed, distance and trajectory, scratching their findings into notebooks. He held out the paper again, so I hurriedly scratched my name on his dotted line. James watched as the good doctor scratched out a quick report on some looseleaf. The entire bus ride, I scratched out the most scathing letter. 1.5 Remove (something) from something else by pulling a sharp implement over it. 刮去 he scratched away the plaster 他刮去了石膏。 Example sentencesExamples Cleanup crews watched in horror as otters scratched out their own eyes to rid them of oil. No way did I want my eyes scratched out by those freshly manicured nails. The lines have been scratched out using a needle, on a canvas smeared with oil colours. 1.6no object Make a rasping or grating noise by scraping something over a hard surface. 发出刮擦声 the dog scratched to be let in 狗嚓嚓地扒门想进去。 Example sentencesExamples His fingernails scraped, scratched at the doorknob with urgency. There was a sound of claws scratching against stone, then a heavy thud. One extremely large creature traveled up inside the wall, and took up residence directly over our bed, scratching and keeping us awake each night. Yes, something was behind the vent, scratching to get out. We heard scratching behind the kitchen units three nights ago. The dogs, now deprived of their warm and huddled sleep at the foot of Matty's bed, spent the nights scratching and sniffing at the back door, whining to be let in. The dog scratched and padded around the place and pushed his dish across the kitchen floor tiles. On the deck below Maria heard the poor dog scratching at the wooden planks anxiously. Your cat scratches at the door after being fed. It seemed to have been a bird scratching at her window. If the fact that their kitten was scratching and meowing to come into my place is anything to go by, it's not pretty. If the cat is scratching at the door and meowing to be let out, just ignore him. Down here is all darkness, the only sound the slur of rain in the dirt, water rats scratching inside the walls. Its huge feet and long legs kept up with her easily, its clawed hands were stretched out ready to grab her, scratching against the walls, making a spine shilling noise. It really is quite remarkable the way in which those cute little white paws can convey such anger and indignation when they are scratching relentlessly on one's bedroom door. A dog howled at the door and then started scratching furiously at the door, as a screeching grew louder. I wolfed it, famished, while cats scratched at gaps in the floorboards and invisible mice. Activists did not consider it Scottish enough and chose a new logo featuring a lion apparently scratching at a red door. She scratches at the wall but it doesn't sound the same. While assassins approached the tent, Pompey began barking and scratching to warn his master, finally jumping on William's face to wake him. 1.7no object (of a bird or mammal, especially a chicken) rake the ground with the beak or claws in search of food. （鸟、哺乳动物，尤指鸡）用嘴（或爪子）扒地找食物 Example sentencesExamples Hens enjoy scratching, preening and dustbathing and the deep straw covered floor encourages these social activities. By the halfway mark of our stay, I took to wandering down to the stables to count the remaining ducks scratching around in the straw and ensure there was no danger of a supply crisis before we left. She could here the birds scratching at the ground outside her tent, the leaves on on the tree by the door blowing in the brisk wind. The man still thinks in terms of animal manure and chickens scratching in the yard. In the chiaroscuro of this place of offering, figured with the wax and soot of burned candles, a chicken scratches near a sacrificial stone. Throwing scratch grain around will get the hens scratching, which will fluff up the bedding and keep it well mixed. As they talked, one of his chickens scratched up a coin that the young Swede recognised (so he says) as bearing the head of the Emperor Augustus. You'll feel a smug warmth every time you pass a broiler chicken house and think of your own happy, healthy poultry scratching in the dust at home. I looked at a few hens scratching in the grit at the hut's door. Several chickens scratched about outside what appeared to be a chicken coop. The only things living were a sow, her piglets, and some hens scratching in the dirt. When it hatched, it grew up like other chickens, picking and scratching for food. She lowered her head and scratched in the dirt with her horn. People are bargaining, arguing, gossiping; dogs are bickering, chickens scratching in the dirt. Ideally they would have a movable coup or ark that can be put on a patch of soil where the birds will scratch around eating every pest, as well as most weeds - and also fertilising the soil. These birds didn't even scratch the ground for food, practicing normal foraging behavior. They can scratch in the ground and eat seeds and bugs as well as their regular chicken feed. Chickens scratched in the company of a stately, gruff-voiced, very respectable pig, rooting under a walnut tree. Typically feeding on the ground, they uncover food by scratching with their feet or digging with their bills. 1.8 Accomplish (something) with great effort or difficulty. 奋力完成 he scratches out a living growing strawberries Example sentencesExamples Failing to scratch out a run against a starter such as Kip Wells is much different than what happened Sunday. Hendley held out hope the rest of the night that the Cubs might scratch out a run, but saw those hopes diminish rapidly as Koufax got stronger and stronger. The band still had to deal with the problem of coming off the payroll and switching from playing large venues to rolling round the club circuit, scratching a living. Only if you were born and brought up unbeknown to the world in the darkness of deepest Dalby Forest, scratching a living from the land would you be truly a non-person. I know they've scratched out two wins in a row, but we feel confident in ourselves. The rare few that still survived clung on at the edge of society, scratching a living from what little they could find in their woodland domains. Many cities were said to be turning into ghost towns, with some five to seven million people living precariously on the breadline, scratching out an existence from one day to the next. The Redskins have been in the play-offs just once since Gibbs left and have scratched out one winning season since 1997. Keep the Twins close and hope their teammates scratch out enough runs to win. The general impression one gets is that Morse accepts the persistent stereotype of the solitary miner scratching out a meager existence largely on his own. Gradually the West Mayo team got a foothold and they scratched out three points before the break to give themselves a chance. He may not have felt so desperate if poverty hadn't forced him into exile: illegal, paralysed, scratching a living for the smallest slice of pie. As late as the 1850s, people scratched out a bare existence by soaking up surface oil from springs around Oil Creek in Pennsylvania. Oldham continue to scratch out wins - can they keep it going all season or will their luck change? The Mariners and the Tigers scratch out their runs with bunts, strings of hits and a willingness to move the runners. Residents scratch out a living amid blocks of abandoned, boarded up, burned-out row houses and vacant warehouses. Fifty per cent of Madagascar's population earn less than one US dollar per year, scratching a living from the parched red earth or feeding themselves by fishing. Now it's six years later and he is scratching a living predicting sports results. We think that our people were made for better things than scratching a living from tourism. From nowhere, she started scratching out a reasonable living. Synonyms scrape, scratch, scrimp 2with object Cancel or strike out (writing) with a pen or pencil. 划掉 the name of Dr. McNab was scratched out and that of Dr. Daniels substituted 麦克纳布博士的名字被划掉了，代替他的是登斯特布尔博士。 Example sentencesExamples Someone, however, scratched out ‘Briefing Room’ with a large black marker. Underneath, ineptly scratched out, three telltale words are still discernible: ‘Made in Taiwan’. Her name had been scratched out and all the evidence of her reign was deposited in one location. Forthworth took a pen out of his pocket, and scratched out the part about sustaining life. I borrowed the nametag keeper's pen and scratched out as much of the name on the tag as I could, attempting to replace it with my actual, real name. Possessed only of his passport, from which he scratched out his home address, Kahn remained unidentified for several days in the city morgue. Nerissa shrugged in return as she scratched out whatever it had been that she'd been drawing. The postcard itself has a postmark from 1958 and has some writing on it which is still visible, even though violently scratched out. I furiously scratched out what I had just written in the notebook, and replaced it with more than just a few malicious thoughts. He scratched out the notes on the paper he had made and began to write new ones. The rest I put back into their boxes, scratched out my address and replaced it with theirs, and sent them off. This really was not a document that could be just quickly scratched out and rewritten. Later, when they checked his wallet, they found that he had scratched out his address in his passport and any other details that would have helped them contact his family. She scratched out that box and ticked the third one as the more accurate. This guy then scratched out his name on the script and put down his girlfriend's name. It is an explanation consistent with the typing of his name on the deed only to be scratched out and Adam's name written in. I scoffed as Cale jotted down one line beneath the twenty scratched out ones. It's full of marks and words that are scratched out here and there. It had over a dozen different words written on it and all were scratched out except for the last. She - I assumed it was a she - had scratched out the original name and put her own name in its place. Synonyms cross out, strike out, score out, delete, erase, remove, strike off, eliminate, cancel, expunge, obliterate 2.1 Withdraw (a competitor) from a competition. 取消（选手）参赛资格 Oswald's Zephyr was the second horse to be scratched from a race today Example sentencesExamples The German was branded a cheat and scratched from that year's drivers' championship for unsportsmanlike conduct. Garcia was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to the injuries he sustained on his left hand, but will be available later in the series. She was scratched out of Friday's Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill in favor of Saturday's race. May was able to pitch but was scratched because of a renewed muscle tweak. Some will be scratched; others will play through the pain. Wells suffered a strained left groin muscle during a May 23 start at Toronto and was scratched from his next outing. He was scratched from the lineup yesterday and was walking stiffly as the result of having his neck and back taped up. McKee thought he would play in the next game, but Ruff scratched him again. Jeter was the starter in last year's All-Star Game at Turner Field, but only because Rodriguez had to be scratched from the game due to injury. Injuries have played a part - he was scratched from a start earlier this week with a sore right shoulder. The committee have decided that players who have not played the games by that date will be automatically scratched from the competition. Alabama Stakes winner Island Fashion was one of five fillies scratched from the race. Two of the original four West Virginia-breds were scratched from the event. Shine Again is a half sister to four-year-old Shiny Band, who was scratched from the First Flight. Failure to play before the deadline may result in both players being scratched from the competition without notice. Last year French was banned from racing for two years and scratched from Olympic competition for life. Speedy Punta, a six-year-old gelding by Punta Arenas, was tested on course and scratched from his intended race. Subsequent bulletins were upbeat but a muscle problem would not dissipate and, a further ten days later, Yeats was scratched from the Derby. The match was abandoned, Palmeiras-B was scratched from the tournament by IFA and the title went to the city giant. The club can afford to be careful with RHP Jason Schmidt, who was scratched from his start Sunday because of elbow tendinitis. Synonyms withdraw, pull out, pull out of, back out, back out of, bow out, bow out of, stand down, give up, leave, quit 2.2no object (of a competitor) withdraw from a competition. 取消（选手）参赛资格 due to a knee injury she was forced to scratch from the race 由于膝盖受伤，她不得不退出比赛。 Example sentencesExamples Only seven older fillies and mares contested the Eatontown after six entrants scratched from the race, run over a soft turf course. He advanced to the semi-finals in the former and to the finals in the latter, then scratched from both events in order to focus on other upcoming swims. He scratched too from an exhibition match after the ladies final of the US Open. Both silver medalists at the Athens Olympics have had to scratch from their event. Only four of the original 15 entrants scratched out of the race, which was contested over a muddy track. 2.3 Cancel or abandon (an undertaking or project) 取消；放弃（任务，项目） the original filming schedule has been scratched Example sentencesExamples York RI will also play a fixture originally scratched because of poor weather when they travel to Northallerton in Yorkshire Three. Actually, scratch that, it sounds too much like we live in a lost and found shoebox. Wednesday's launch was scratched because of a reading of low current from a battery system on the rocket's second stage. Oh wait scratch that I do plan ahead. Synonyms call off, abandon, scrap, drop 3no object Play a record using the scratch technique. he raps and scratches simultaneously to dazzling effect See scratch (sense 2 of the noun) Example sentencesExamples It was using a sample that sounded somewhere between vinyl scratching and cool drum beats. The album, which mixes rap lyrics, hip-hop beats, scratching, samples and live guitar, is now available to local people. Instead, Teeba does his talking with his turntables, scratching with great dexterity and impeccable rhythmic flair. While the concept is a good one, Swift over-emphasizes breaks and scratching at the expense of vocals and harmonies. The group's music policy is a mixture of funk, hip hop and 80s disco blended with scratching and a touch of Latin, house and techno. It's got scratching, it's got acoustic guitars. Photography became the snapshot and photo album; newspapers became fuel for fanzines, and the vinyl record became a tool for scratching and sampling. Much has been made of his ability to make his toggle switch sound like a DJ scratching. I'm chopping up and scratching more - it's like I'm a new DJ again. She lets each song breathe, adding in conga solos, DJ scratching and trumpets from her tightly synched seven-member band. The act consists of three men dressed in tails and armed with violins bow in synch with turntable scratching. In fact, there is more scratching on this CD than on any I have heard in recent years. The combo of bongo drums and some sharp scratching from DJ Kilmore was pretty impressive. Beginning with DJ Olive's wavering synthetic tones, shouts, drums and scratching follow to form a sonic melee with an appreciable sense of forward motion. The Tory leader had a go at scratching and mixing on record decks when he visited the Fusion Project to talk to young people. Young people are invited to attend workshops and master classes in everything from graffiti art to hip-hop and urban dance to scratching and break dancing. If your composition involves scratching and sampling, all to the good. I was also mesmerised by scratching once I got decks at 17, so I was just away in my room experimenting. Shakespearean rhyming couplets have been adapted for rap with an on-stage DJ scratching, beatboxing and grooving right along with the performers. When I work with Obscure, I try to think of what can be done with scratching on this record that hasn't been done before. nounskrætʃskraCH 1A mark or wound made by scratching. 划伤，擦伤 the scratches on her arm were throbbing 她手臂上的划伤阵阵抽痛。 as modifier scratch marks on the door 窗上的划痕。 Example sentencesExamples Her fingers brushed against the smooth glass of the jewel and she withdrew it, carefully inspecting it for chips or scratches. His black shirt was torn, leaving her with a good look at his chest, filled with scratches and wounds. These scratch marks, which resemble fine brown hairs, are always located on the upper third of the flower. Which card is more likely to be marked by nicks and scratches on its edges? The black scuff marks and smaller scratches left last Friday night don't bother me as much - they're merely cosmetic. Scratch marks will usually go away one or two weeks after treatment. The films are not well preserved, so there are plenty of scratches and burn marks, and dirt on the prints. This speed assures elimination of swirl marks and scratches in the wood. Any scratch, dent or mark, however little, is taken note of and fixed. We had to apply it liberally on all wounds, even minor scratches and mosquito bites. With scratches and flaws marking up the picture, I'm sad to report that this picture is sub-par. Conjunctivitis may also occur due to allergies or from a scratch on the surface of the eye. Her arms were covered in scratches and there was one extremely deep one that was still seeping some blood. My knees were bruised from tripping, and my arms and legs had scratches from tree branches that reached as far as they could to grab travelers. Jodi had several scratches on her arms and, Vaughn assumed, on her legs as well. Notice the puncture marks, scratches and big gash all the way to the lower right He assured me that no-one will ever notice the small scratch mark he was able to make. Because granite is melted rock, it has uniform properties, which makes it quite hard and resistant to scratches. Traditional machines have individual grinding heads that travel in their own radius, leaving scratches or permanent marks. If the flooring has spillage marks or deep scratches then get these attended to as quickly as possible. Synonyms score, mark, line, abrasion, scrape, scuff, laceration, groove, gash, gouge 1.1informal in singular A slight or insignificant wound or injury. 〈非正式〉轻伤 it's nothing—just a scratch 没什么-一点擦伤。 Example sentencesExamples Year after year, however, millions of people enjoy themselves outdoors and return home without a scratch. A driver who escaped without a scratch when his car plunged 50 feet down a moorland ravine has told of his amazing escape. However, people in movies routinely jump through plate glass windows without receiving a single scratch. Have you ever been in an accident where you should've been hurt, even killed- and came out with only small injuries, or without a scratch? I spent a year in Vietnam and came home without a scratch. In fact, he leaves the accident without a scratch on him. My husband and daughter died instantly, but the truck driver came out without a scratch. She told them she was fine; that she'd only gotten a scratch. The newspapers were filled with images of people buried in rubble, yet walking away without a scratch. She then proceeded to spend a homeless night in strange surroundings out in the cold before being found, without a scratch on her, by her worried owners. He got out of it without a scratch, but the car was totalled, and it was a hundred and something thousand dollars worth of car. In the fight with the police officer, Will, he had gotten hurt more than a slight bit while Will didn't have a scratch on him. Thankfully this man was apprehended safely and all the officers were able to walk away without a scratch. The plan was to find her and bring her back without a scratch. Fry emerged from the incident without a scratch, but the concussion of the explosion was felt some 2,000 feet away, at the starting line. The men advance towards her and she single-handedly knocks all of them to the ground escaping without a scratch. Not too many people have their motorcycles ripped out from under them at 65 mph, in heavy traffic, and escape without a scratch. He later crashed one of his planes at Victoria River Downs Station but walked away from it without a scratch. Dozens of rounds of ammo, bombs and even cannonballs are fired at the trio, yet don't produce one scratch. But if I'd had to, I could have driven three times that long and gotten both of us out of there without a scratch. Synonyms graze, scrape, abrasion, cut, laceration, wound 1.2in singular An act or spell of scratching oneself to relieve itching. 搔痒 he gave his scalp a good scratch 他使劲地挠头皮。 Example sentencesExamples I gave Wilma one last scratch behind the ear, and I ran downstairs. His tweed cap was removed only occasionally, and only long enough for a frustrated head scratch. I picked up the paper clip as my mind told me ‘Just one little scratch wont hurt.’ Truman meowed again and accepted the offered scratch behind the ears with great appreciation. When you've got an itch on your back you'll do anything for a scratch and there's not much in the ocean to rub against. She joked, reaching down to give the beast a scratch behind the ears. The women resume their conversation and the dogs, no longer interested in each other have a scratch or look for more interesting smells to divert their attention. 1.3 A rasping or grating noise produced by something rubbing against a hard surface. 发出刮擦声 the scratch of a match lighting a cigarette 划着火柴点烟。 Example sentencesExamples You need the right song to remix because there are certain ones that aren't constructed to add bleeps, scratches or a constant thumping bass line. First came the sound of voices outside, a familiar chitter of laughter, then the scratch at the door. The last ten minutes were silent broken only by the scratch of a pencil. Beeps, clicks and scratches run underneath - and alongside - strings, stand-up bass and a variety of percussion. She crawled back into bed when she heard a scratch at her bedroom door. Acoustic and seismic listening device: extremely sensitive tool which can hear the slightest tap or scratch of a trapped person. There was a scratch at the door and the butler announced another visitor. It was just a scratch on the door, a muffled noise, and a little flashlight waving at the end of the hall. The same answer came and the scratch of a pen followed. On the recording, however, I keep hearing the surreptitious scratch of a lighter. She was still holding the book and just staring at it when a scratch sounded at the door. George on the camera is a genius and Frank on sound could make a chalk scratch on a blackboard sound like music. A moment later we heard the unmistakable scratch of the front door closing, and the quiet start of an engine. I then heard the scratch of a match against its box. Embedded within Pole's framework of clicks, snaps and scratches are subtle yet absorbing layers of sound. The only other noises were the scratches of the rats claws as they helped themselves to whatever was stored in their sanctuary. A few moments later I heard the scratch of a match against a striker, then smelled the sweet acrid aroma of marijuana. He could hear the scratch of her pencil, and the air moving past the car. Maybe it was fifteen minutes later when the scratch at the flimsy door disturbed us. Synonyms grate, grating, creak, creaking, grind, grinding, jar, jarring, rasp, rasping, scratching, rub, rubbing, squeak, squeaking, screech, screeching 1.4 A rough hiss, caused by the friction of the stylus in the groove, heard when a record is played. 唱片的嚓嚓声（指唱片纹道与唱针的摩擦噪声） Example sentencesExamples For all that we now quest for absolute fidelity in recordings, I like the comforting scratch of an old record. The scratches and surface noise of Jeck's vinyl further emphasise this notion. The sound quality is fine, much as it was on the original LPs - minus the surface noise and scratches, however. Yes, they were free from the scratches, clicks and pops that plagued records, but otherwise perfect they weren't. 2A technique, used especially in rap music, of stopping a record by hand and moving it back and forth to give a rhythmic scratching effect. 刮擦（多用于快板乐中，用手制止唱片转动，使其来回移动发出有节奏的嚓嚓声的技巧） Example sentencesExamples No need to say a little prayer for local hip hop DJ and scratch vet Raf Kerwin, aka D.R. One, because he's doing just fine on his own. With an intro that's absolute insane scratch work, Flow maintains a feverish and surprisingly melodic tempo throughout the set. Many of the songs are laced with clever hip hop asides and contain every conceivable type of bleep, scratch and vocal distortion known to nu-metal man. There's also rock, funk and turntable scratches thrown in for good measure. Do you find it hard to beat juggle and scratch as opposed to blending the records to entertain the crowds? Joining them as musical director is local scratch wizard DJ Pocket, who provides a wide mash of musical styles and obscure sounds. Hip Hop and Jazz tunes were superbly mixed with turntable scratch and an infectious piano line that dictate the film's progression. Anyone acquainted with the world of the scratch DJ will understand that it is manly in the way that Hobbyland is manly. From the first scratch to the last, this album is dope. He turns up the volume as far as it will go and drags his nail over the microphone, pushing the medium to its limits with a sort of scratch sound. With the scratch specialist Picklez gone, there opened a vacancy for the world's top turntablist crew. Jill Scott opens the disc, crooning over a hip-hop bassline and vinyl scratches. Julie is not just a DJ, but a scratch DJ. Talented DJ's have their own style and Q-Bert is a scratch DJ. Many amazing comments come from a remarkably sane Genesis P-Orridge while Carl Craig sums up turntablism perfectly as Kid Koala gets his scratch on. I know every single scratch, every beat, every scream from the crowd. 3The starting point in a handicap for a competitor receiving no odds. 让步赛中没有取得让步条件的运动员（参赛者）的起始点 Example sentencesExamples Faced with having to give them a head-start of 7, he called it evens and had them starting at scratch instead. Start and scratch is 6.45 pm, with venues to be announced at a later date. 3.1Golf A handicap of zero, indicating that a player is good enough to achieve par on a course. 〔高尔夫〕零让步（表明选手不弱，能在场上达到规定击球的次数） Example sentencesExamples Little Amy, 13, who receives England ‘birdie’ training, wants to get down to scratch. But having reached a handicap of scratch by the age of 16, the US college student decided his future lay on the fairways and not the football park. He went part-time at Springfield Park, where he works in the shop, to concentrate on his game and has reduced his ranking to scratch. The others are to play for the county girls and seniors and get my handicap down from six to scratch. I aim to get my handicap down to scratch by the end of next year. 4informal Money. 〈非正式〉钱 he was working to get some scratch together 他正在干活攒钱。 Example sentencesExamples I've done some columns, I've had some freelance gigs, and Smith has gotten me some scratch working for the Internet site. I'm a grad student right now, so I don't have a lot of scratch to work with. The film debut was still a bright spot this weekend and the film will likely sweep up some decent scratch over the coming weeks. By '99 they saved up enough scratch to record a full-length album, Rock and Roll Port Three. As for material resources, some bloggers are now able to earn some scratch, but this is an effect rather than a cause of their success. Many owners suspect, of course, that as the refs demand full-time wages, their true plan is to take the added scratch and keep the other jobs anyway. The film makes it very clear that, without some scratch, there is no influence and very little indiscriminate sex. Unfortunately, the good mayor's policy of using municipal scratch to buy staff birthday goodies and Christmas presents has also faded into the tundra. A guy could have quite the weekend in Vegas with that kind of scratch. The upside is that with so much freelance work crammed into a short amount of time, it will bring in a fair amount of scratch. The singer plans to make some serious scratch overseas doing promotional work. Synonyms cash, hard cash, ready money adjectiveskrætʃskraCH 1Assembled or made from whatever is available, and so unlikely to be of the highest quality. 仓促拼凑的；匆匆组成的 at least two vessels set sail with scratch crews Example sentencesExamples The UK's greatest scratch DJ crew will bring two hours of the finest UK and US hip hop with incredible turntable skills. Unfortunately, however, the year 2000 saw the demise of what has been known as the most influential scratch crew ever. A scratch crew from the rest of current affairs had to do the job instead. He is, he says, not remotely put off by the ease with which a scratch side with ‘no gameplan and a smattering of hangovers’ dismantled Scotland on Thursday night. With the pitch already booked but no one to play, word reached the Lashings pub, where a scratch team was hastily put together among staff and regulars. Glass was taking courses at KU, so he joined a scratch league at the student union. Captain Phillips was not aboard for her last voyage in 1984, which was with a scratch crew taking her to be scrapped. An allconquering Trinity side from the 1970s is to be pitted against a scratch team of young hopefuls. Lown bowls weekly in a scratch league at the Gold Coast in Las Vegas and carried a 189 average last season. As a result of a threatened boycott by the former dictator's defence team, the trial may have to take place with a scratch team of lawyers appointed by the court itself. Bringing up the rear of the field was scratch man John Pearson. And then he did it again, leading the scratch platoon he had formed on to its objective. There followed a scurry round to assemble a scratch team, kit them up, organise travel arrangements etc. As a lad in Clifton in York, others recalled how he had insisted everyone wore white for scratch cricket matches. Bath took the game to the Italians with a scratch squad and did so with such determination that there was never any argument about this result. After a blistering start, the scratch group of riders caught the rest of the field with two laps to go. 2(of a sports competitor or event) with no handicap given. （选手，赛事）没有让步优待的 Example sentencesExamples I never ever did beat Jonno off a scratch event, but Harry used to make sure that Jon always gave me a start and I'd get the best out of myself by trying to stay in front. Lount, who has been a member at Pike Hills for eight years and first played in the Yorkshire Order of Merit in 2002, is now a scratch golfer but has no plans to turn professional. On Sunday a minor/intermediate scratch cup takes place. She joined Clitheroe Golf Club at the age of eight and became a scratch golfer three weeks after her 16th birthday. A scratch golfer who mixes freely with professionals in that game, McGwire is a good judge of what he sees and hears around the circuit. He was a scratch player at 12 and had a stellar international record as an amateur. I won't get the benefit of those eighteen shots because it is a scratch event but at least I could make an attempt at qualifying. Ludwell went on to become a scratch golfer and made many appearances for Yorkshire. It doesn't matter if you're a duffer or a scratch golfer, there are a wide variety of courses with unique layouts and challenges for golfers of all skill levels. He was also an avid golfer and as long as most can remember was close to being a scratch player. But it's his sense of humour that shines through, and he brings that to the very serious world of scratch masters. Other notables were Mick, who talked the golf crew through 18 holes of scratch golf. Although the event is scratch matchplay, Air Force golfers on handicaps up to 18 are encouraged to nominate. Paul, who is already a scratch golfer, is the grandson of well-known Newbridge man Tommy O Hanlon. She knows if it wasn't for the support of her parents she would not be a scratch golfer now contemplating the possibility of turning professional. Some of us may never be able to hit the ball as accurately, powerfully or consistently as a scratch player, but with work, we can realistically hope to putt like one. How difficult, while still being fair, is the course for the scratch player from the back tees? He has won most of the honours that the game has to offer and in his prime was almost a scratch player. There is a massive difference between being a scratch golfer at home and playing the difficult courses from the back tees! But look at the difference between a 9-handicapper and a scratch golfer. Phrases from scratch From the very beginning, especially without utilizing or relying on any previous work for assistance. 从零开始，从头做起；白手起家 he built his own computer company from scratch 他白手起家，建起了自己的电脑公司。 Example sentencesExamples The idea is to start from scratch and make the best use of the site. Mr Khan built up his company from scratch and now employs more than 20 people. I have never had any general fight training, so each time I have to wield a weapon I start from scratch. They tested the time it took to mix a cake from a packet and from scratch and the home baked one took only 10 minutes longer. The two of them wrote the show from scratch, ensured they got all the best lines and threw in deft ad-libs as required. It is a direct reversal of the previous policy where SAS would build its own tools from scratch. This would give it a cheaper entry to the market, although it would have to start from scratch in building a customer base. Erase everything on the computer's hard drive and start over from scratch. It takes three years for a farmer to develop a bamboo plantation from scratch. Native programmers are used to support or maintain current systems, not to produce new ones from scratch. scratch a — and find a — Used to suggest that an investigation of someone or something soon reveals their true nature. 指揭露某人或某事真面目的调查除去…的假象你将发现…的本质 he had been taught to believe “scratch a pious man and find a hypocrite.” scratch one's head 1informal Think hard in order to find a solution to something. 〈非正式〉冥思苦想问题的解答 Example sentencesExamples A greedy otter has left a Preston grandfather scratching his head for a solution to stop the animal slinking into his pond to eat his fish. I spent a few hours scratching my head and looking for a cryptic code which might shed light on where this maverick genius is getting his ideas from. The shop is not selling the album until staff have a better idea of what they've got, but it's not the first time they've found themselves scratching their heads over a potential vinyl windfall. When next we head to the polls, I may find myself scratching my head in search of a political party that might be worthy of my support. You're probably scratching your head even harder wondering why Merrill Lynch is talking about the impact that acquiring Red Hat may or may not have on Sun. Still scratching your head over holiday gift ideas for that special someone on your list? Local school board members in Charlotte County are left scratching their heads, wondering how they will fit the class into an already full day. After scratching my head for a bit I realized when she wrote site your sources, what she really meant was ‘Please write the title of Samuel Seabury's pamphlet when you refer to it.’ The first big betting race of the year come our way this weekend when the Pierse Hurdle will again draw a big field and have punters scratching their heads to find the winner. Purists in the audience were observed scratching their heads, trying to figure out a way to appreciate the ‘exotic’ composition. Synonyms think hard, put one's mind to something, give much thought to something, concentrate, try to remember, puzzle over something, cudgel one's brains, furrow one's brow 1.1Feel or express bewilderment. 感到（或表示）困惑 Example sentencesExamples A word of warning watching this film: don't take your eyes off it for a moment or you'll be left scratching your head. Despite being a hamlet for more than 100 years, Tiddleywink has been omitted from maps and postmen are frequently left scratching their heads in confusion as to where it is. If this leaves you scratching your head, you're not the first. He must be scratching his head in bewilderment. Three decades later, we are still scratching our heads. But sometimes, you're just left scratching your head. Here it is, the story that had all of us scratching our heads and made everyone in the newsroom say, ‘What The?’ Quit scratching your heads and wondering who he was. But in a lapse that has some people scratching their heads, it failed to budget for any aid to Afghanistan in this year's spending plans. It all moves along pretty fast, and with no track listing to speak of, don't be surprised in the least if you find yourself scratching your head. Synonyms struggle mentally, be out of one's depth, be in the dark, have difficulty, be confounded, be confused, be dumbfounded scratch the surface 1Deal with a matter only in the most superficial way. 浅尝；触及表面 research has only scratched the surface of the paranormal 研究仅涉及超正常范围的表面。 Example sentencesExamples Yet, so far, it seems Stanford has only begun to scratch the surface in terms of its programmatic and curricular activities on matters Indian. Yet even as he was speaking, aid agencies were warning the deal would only scratch the surface. We are only scratching the surface by helping these 350 tortoises, but it is far better that they are in experienced hands than in the hands of smugglers. Without an understanding of the experiential learning process, the surface of knowledge and learning are only scratched. Having been here only 9 months I am still only scratching the surface and finding many delights are hidden below the superficial facade. The U.N. has introduced a new mechanism for Afghanistan to deal with this latter problem, but it only scratches the surface of what is really required. This is only scratching the surface - there are literally hundreds more one could list, but these are some of the ones I deem most significant for the reasons given. As a matter of fact, most so called health nuts don't even scratch the surface of healthy living anyway, no matter how much they can bench press. In the space allotted for this article, I can scratch only the surface of each profiled editor. If I well understood the spirit of the article, both Romanians and Bulgarians should go deeper than scratching on surface in knowing each other. 2Initiate the briefest investigation to discover something concealed. 进行简短调查 they have a boring image but scratch the surface and it's fascinating 它们有种令人生厌的形象，可是一旦调查起来，却很令人着迷。 Example sentencesExamples I believe we're just scratching the surface in our investigation and a lot more will come out. The Policing Board member commented: ‘We haven't even scratched the surface of sectarianism yet, nor are we tackling it in any strategic way.’ He felt that he wasn't even scratching the surface of animal trafficking, which is why he decided to join forces with other groups. Just double underline that we are still scratching the surface, we have a long way to go. Over all the years, science has made more and more discoveries - yet still hasn't scratched the surface of nature's wonders. Miller said: ‘We haven't even scratched the surface of what we can do with an ear of corn.’ It is obvious that this figure only scratches the surface of movie piracy when a five year old can download the latest Teletubbies movie over the Internet. Now police fear the investigation has only scratched at the surface of the problem. We're scratching at the surface of his character here. As reporters, journalists in Australia and England and I were to detail over the next year, that initial series only scratched the surface. up to scratch Up to the required standard; satisfactory. 达到标准的；令人满意的 her German was not up to scratch 她的德语还不行。 Example sentencesExamples For instance, the sound system was not up to scratch and I did not feel comfortable performing with bad sound. Are spelling standards and vocabulary up to scratch in Southland schools? It's nice to know that someone thinks my writing is up to scratch! If it's not quite up to scratch, £1,000 invested in getting it to look its best could make a big difference. The light must be bright to help you adjust, Standard indoor lighting is not up to scratch. There are many cases on record of writers who have written three or four novels before they produced one which even they thought was up to scratch. Irish schools require an investment programme amounting to an estimated 2.5 billion to bring them up to scratch. To do that, they need the money to bring those services up to scratch. We say so because responses to emergencies like fire outbreaks and accidents are simply not up to scratch. Tony says that he is feeling ‘fine’ at the moment and that he is trying to keep his health and fitness up to scratch. Synonyms good enough, up to the mark, up to standard, up to par, satisfactory, acceptable, adequate, passable, sufficient, competent, all right you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours proverb If you do me a favor, I'll return it. 〈谚〉你帮我，我帮你；投我以桃，报之以李 Example sentencesExamples This statement expresses the real relations between the trade unions and management: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. What is so objectionable is the cosiness of it all: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. The idea behind this goes back to you scratch my back I scratch yours. The amalgamated union of executive and non-executive directors represents a friendly society which operates on the basis of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’. She said the concept is based on the saying, ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’. It's a story of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.’ A state that is run according to the principle of ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’ does not possess the authority required for carrying out ‘painful cuts’. ‘Cooperative’ partnership may be an underused form of relationship between organisations, although it uses mechanisms by which lots of individual business gets done: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. In short, I would prefer honest reviews over the watered-down "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’ kind. Origin Late Middle English: probably a blend of the synonymous dialect words scrat and cratch, both of uncertain origin; compare with Middle Low German kratsen and Old High German krazzōn. verb.1 phr.
随便看	ensuer ensues ensuing ensuing en suite ensurance ensure intimacies intimacy intimacy with intimae intimal intimal intimate intimated intimately intimately intimateness intimateness intimater intimate relations intimates intimating intimation intimation