- scabrous
- \ \ see SCAB
Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
scabrous
Look at other dictionaries:
Scabrous — Sca brous, a. [L. scabrosus, fr. scaber rough: cf. F. scabreux.] 1. Rough to the touch, like a file; having small raised dots, scales, or points; scabby; scurfy; scaly. Arbuthnot. [1913 Webster] 2. Fig.: Harsh; unmusical. [R.] [1913 Webster] His… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
scabrous — index lurid, obscene, salacious, scurrilous Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
scabrous — (adj.) 1570s (implied in scabrously), from L.L. scabrosus rough, from L. scaber rough, scaly, related to scabere to scratch, scrape (see SCABIES (Cf. scabies)). Sense in English evolved from harsh, unmusical, to vulgar (1881), squalid (1939) and… … Etymology dictionary
scabrous — *rough, harsh, uneven, rugged Antonyms: glabrous: smooth … New Dictionary of Synonyms
scabrous — ► ADJECTIVE 1) rough and covered with scabs. 2) salacious or sordid. ORIGIN Latin scabrosus, from scaber rough … English terms dictionary
scabrous — [skab′rəs, skā′brəs] adj. [LL scabrosus < L scabere, to scratch: see SCAB] 1. a) rough with small points or knobs, like a file; scaly or scabby b) marked with or as with scabs; blotchy, encrusted, etc. 2. full of difficulties 3. indecent,… … English World dictionary
scabrous — adjective Etymology: Latin scabr , scaber rough, scurfy; akin to Latin scabere to scratch more at scab Date: 1646 1. difficult, knotty < a scabrous problem > 2. rough to the touch: as a. having small raised dots, scales, or points < a scabrous… … New Collegiate Dictionary
scabrous — adjective a) covered with scales or scabs, or otherwise extremely rough After the incident with the gasoline, Noels burnt arm remained scabrous, and was susceptible to infections. b) having indecent sexual content or connotation, rough The novel… … Wiktionary
scabrous — sca|brous [ˈskeıbrəs, ˈskæb US ˈskæb ] adj literary [Date: 1500 1600; : Late Latin; Origin: scabrosus, from Latin scaber rough ] 1.) rude or shocking, especially in a sexual way ▪ The film is a joy hilariously funny and unremittingly scabrous.… … Dictionary of contemporary English
scabrous — [[t]ske͟ɪbrəs, skæ̱b [/t]] ADJ GRADED (disapproval) If you describe something as scabrous, you mean that it deals with sex or describes sex in a shocking way. [LITERARY] ...the scabrous lower reaches of the film business … English dictionary
scabrous — scabrously, adv. scabrousness, n. /skab reuhs/, adj. 1. having a rough surface because of minute points or projections. 2. indecent or scandalous; risqué; obscene: scabrous books. 3. full of difficulties. [1575 85; < L scab(e)r rough + OUS] S … Universalium
