Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scour

/ˈskaʊɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.97 in modern English

Syllables
scour
IPA
/ˈskaʊɚ/
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To clean, polish, or wash (something) by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously, frequently with an abrasive or cleaning agent.

Transitive verb

verb

To remove debris and dirt (from something) by purging; to sweep along or off by a current of water.

Transitive verb

verb

To clear the digestive tract (of an animal) by administering medication that induces defecation or vomiting; to purge.

Transitive verb

verb

To cleanse (something) without rubbing.

Obsolete

noun

The removal of sediment caused by swiftly moving water.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A place scoured out by running water, as in the bed of a stream below a waterfall.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A place where wool is washed to remove grease and impurities prior to processing.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English scǒuren (“to polish, scour; to clean; to beat, whip”), from Middle Dutch scuren, schuren (“to clean; to polish”) or Middle Low German schǖren, of uncertain origin but probably from Old French escurer, from Medieval Latin scūrō, escūrō, excūrō (“to clean off”), from ex- (“thoroughly”) + cūrō (“to arrange, see to, take care of”), from cūra (“care, concern”) (from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeys- (“to heed”)) + -ō. The word is cognate with Danish skure, Middle High German schüren, schiuren (modern German scheuern (“to scour, scrub; to chafe”)), Norwegian skura (“to scrub”), Swedish skura, Catalan escurar.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: scouren, scuren, escurer, scūrō, *kʷeys-, skýra

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈskaʊɚ/
  • British English: /ˈskaʊə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce scour?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈskaʊɚ/.
What does scour mean?
To clean, polish, or wash (something) by rubbing and scrubbing it vigorously, frequently with an abrasive or cleaning agent.
Where does scour come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce scour

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “scour”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈskaʊɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “scour”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “scour” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.