Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SCAP'O-LITE, n. [Gr. σκαπος, a rod, and λιθος, a stone.]

A mineral which occurs massive, or more commonly in four or eight sided prisms, terminated by four sided pyramids. It takes its name from its long crystals, often marked with deep longitudinal channels, and collected in groups or masses of parallel, diverging or intermingled prisms. It is the radiated, foliated and compact scapolite of Jameson, and the paranthine and Wernerite of Haüy and Brongniart. – Cleaveland.

SCAP'U-LA, n. [L.]

The shoulder-blade. – Coxe.

SCAP'U-LAR, a. [L. scapularis.]

Pertaining to the shoulder, or to the scapula; as, the scapular arteries.

SCAP'U-LAR, n. [supra.]

1. In anatomy, the name of two pairs of arteries and as many veins. – Encyc.
2. In ornithology, a feather which springs from the shoulder of the wing, and lies along the side of the back. – Encyc.

SCAP'U-LAR, or SCAP'U-LA-RY, n.

A part of the habit of certain religious orders in the Romish church, consisting of two narrow slips of cloth worn over the gown, covering, the back and breast, and extending to the feet. This is worn as a badge of peculiar veneration for the Virgin Mary. – Encyc.

SCAR, n. [Fr. escarre; Arm. scarr or yscar; It. escara; Gr. εσχαρα; Dan. skar; probably from the root of shear, share, to cut, Sax. sciran, scearan, whence Dan. skaar, a notch.]

1. A mark in the skin or flesh of an animal, made by a wound or an ulcer, and remaining after the wound or ulcer is healed. The soldier is proud of his scars.
2. Any mark or injury; a blemish. The earth had the beauty of youth … and not a wrinkle, scar or fracture on its body. – Burnet.
3. [L. scarus; Gr. σκαρος.] A fish of the Labrus kind. Dict. Nat. Hist.

SCAR, v.t.

To mark with a scar. – Shak.

SCAR'AB, or SCAR'AB-EE, n. [L. scarabæus, from Gr. σκωρ, Sax. scearn, fimus.]

A beetle; an insect of the genus Scarabæus, whose wings are cased. [See Beetle.]

SCAR'A-MOUCH, n. [Fr. escarmouche; It. scaramuccio; Sp. escaramuza, a skirmish.]

A buffoon in motley dress. Collier.

SCARCE, a. [It. scarso; D. schaarsch. In Arm. scarz is short, and perhaps the word is from the rout of shear, to cut. The Spanish equivalent word is escaso, and it is observable that some of our common people pronounce this word scase.]

1. Not plentiful or abundant; being in small quantity in proportion to the demand. We say, water is scarce, wheat, rye, or barley is scarce, money is scarce, when the quantity is not fully adequate to the demand.
2. Being few in number and scattered; rare; uncommon. Good horses are scarce. The scarcest of all is a Pescennius Niger on a medallion well preserved. – Addison.

SCARCE, or SCARCE-LY, adv.

1. Hardly; scantly. We scarcely think our miseries our foes. – Shak.
2. Hardly; with difficulty. Slowly he sails, and scarcely stems the tides. – Dryden.

SCARCE-NESS, or SCAR-CI-TY, n.

1. Smallness of quantity, or smallness in proportion to the wants or demands; deficiency; defect of plenty; penury; as, a scarcity of grain; a great scarcity of beauties; a scarcity of lovely women. – Dryden. Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value to its scarcity. – Rambler. A scarcity of snow would raise a mutiny at Naples. – Addison.
2. Rareness; infrequency. The value of an advantage is enhanced by its scarceness. – Collier. Root of scarcity, the mangold-wurzel, a variety of the Beta Cycla or white beet; G. mangold-wurzel, beet-root, corrupted into mangel-wurzel; Fr. racine de disette, root of want or scarcity. Ed. Encyc.

SCARE, v.t. [In W. esgar is to separate; in It. scorare is to dishearten, from L. ex and cor, heart; but qu.]

To fright; to terrify suddenly; to strike with sudden terror. The noise of thy cross-bow / Will scare the herd, and so my shot is lost. – Shak. To scare away, to drive away by frightening.

SCARE-CROW, n. [scare and crow.]

1. Any frightful thing set up to frighten crows or other fowls from corn-fields; hence, any thing terrifying without danger; a vain terror. A scarecrow set to frighten fools away. – Dryden.
2. A fowl of the sea gull kind; the black gull. – Dict. Nat. Hist. Pennant.

SCAR-ED, pp.

Frightened; suddenly terrified.

SCARE-FIRE, n.

A fire breaking out so as to frighten people. [Not used.] – Holder.

SCARF, n. [plur. scarfs. Fr. echarpe; It. ciarpa; Sax. scearf, a fragment or piece; G. scharpe; from the root of shear.]

1. Something that hangs loose upon the shoulders; as a piece of cloth. Put on your hood and scarf. – Swift.
2. A water fowl. – Scott.

SCARF, v.t.¹

1. To throw loosely on. – Shak.
2. To dress in a loose vesture. – Shak.

SCARF, v.t.² [Sw. skarfva; Sp. escarpar.]

To join; to piece; to unite two pieces of timber at the ends, by letting the end of one into the end of the other, or laying the two ends together and fastening a third piece to both. – Mar. Dict.

SCARF-ED, pp.

1. Dressed in a loose vesture.
2. Joined; pieced.

SCARF'ING, n.

The formation of a beam out of two pieces of timber.

SCARF'ING, ppr.

Uniting two pieces of timber at the ends.

SCARF-SKIN, n. [scarf and skin.]

The cuticle; the epidermis; the outer thin integument of the body. – Cheyne.

SCAR-IF-I-CA'TION, n. [L. scarificatio. See Scarify.]

In surgery, the operation of making several incisions in the skin with a lancet or other cutting instrument, particularly the cupping instrument. – Encyc.

SCAR-IF-IC-A'TOR, n.

An instrument used in scarification.