Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SCOT, or SCOTCH, v.t. [Arm. scoaz, the shoulder, whence scoazya, to shoulder up, to prop, to support; W. ysgwyz, a shoulder; ysgwyzaw, to shoulder, which is said to be from cwyz, a fall.]

To support, as a wheel, by placing some obstacle to prevent its rolling. Our wagoners and cartmen scot the wheels of their wagons and carts, when in ascending a hill they stop to give their team rest, or for other purpose. In Connecticut, have generally heard this word pronounced scot, in Massachusetts, scotch.

SCOT'AL, or SCOT'ALE, n. [scot and ale.]

In law, the keeping of an alehouse by the officer of a forest, and drawing people to spend their money for liquor, for fear of his displeasure.

SCOTCH, a.

Pertaining to Scotland or its inhabitants. [See Scotish.]

SCOTCH, n.

A slight cut or shallow incision. Shak. Walton.

SCOTCH, v. [See SCOT, the verb.]

SCOTCH, v.t. [Qu. Arm. sqeigea, or Sax. sceadan. This can not be from Fr. ecorcher, to flay or peel; ecorce, bark.]

To cut with shallow incisions. [Obs.] Shak.

SCOTCH'-COL-LOPS, or SCOTCH'ED-COL-LOPS, n.

Veal cut into small pieces.

SCOTCH'ED, pp.

1. Cut with shallow incisions.
2. Supported, as a wheel.

SCOTCH'-HOP-PER, n.

A play in which boys hop over scotches or lines in the ground. Locke.

SCOTCH'ING, ppr.

1. Cutting with shallow incisions.
2. Supporting, as a wheel. [See the verb.]

SCO'TER, n.

The black diver or duck, a species of Anas.

SCOT'FREE, a.

1. Free from payment or scot; untaxed.
2. Unhurt; clear; safe.

SCO'TIA, n.

In architecture, a semicircular cavity or channel between the tores in the bases of columns.

SCOT'ISH, or SCOT'TISH, a.

Pertaining to the inhabitants of Scotland, or to their country or language; as, Scottish industry or economy; a Scottish chief; the Scottish dialect.

SCO'TIST, n. [from Duns Scotus, a Scotish cordelier.]

One of the followers of Scotus, a sect of school divines who maintained the immaculate conception of the Virgin, or that she was born without original sin; in opposition to the Thomists, or followers of Thomas Aquinas.

SCOT'O-GRAPH, n. [Gr. σκοτος, darkness, and γραφω, to write.]

An instrument for writing in the dark.

SCOT'O-MY, n. [Gr. σκοτωμα, vertigo, from σκοτοω, to darken.]

Dizziness or swimming of the head, with dimness of sight.

SCOT'TER-ING, n.

A provincial word in Herefordshire, England, denoting the burning of a wad of pease straw at the end of harvest. Bailey. Johnson.

SCOT'TI-CISM, n.

An idiom or peculiar expression of the natives of Scotland. Beattie.

SCOT'TISH, a. [See SCOTISH.]

SCOUN'DREL, a.

Low; base; mean; unprincipled.

SCOUN'DREL, n. [said to be from It. scondaruole, a lurker, one that skulks from the roll or muster, from L. abscondo. The Italian signifies properly the play hoodman-blind, or fox in the hole.]

A mean, worthless fellow; a rascal; a low petty villain; a man without honor or virtue. Go, if your ancient but ignoble blood / Has crept through scoundrels ever since the flood. Pope.

SCOUN'DREL-ISM, n.

Baseness; turpitude; rascality. Cotgrave.

SCOUR, v.i.

1. To perform the business of cleaning vessels by rubbing. Shak.
2. To clean. Warm water is softer than cold, for it scoureth better. Bacon.
3. To be purged to excess. Bacon. Mortimer.
4. To rove or range for sweeping or taking something. Barbarossa, thus scouring along the coast of Italy. Knolles.
5. To run with celerity; to scamper. So four fierce coursers, starting to the race, / Scour through the plain, and lengthen every pace. Dryden.

SCOUR, v.t. [Goth. skauron, to scour; Sax. scur, a scouring; D. schuuren; C. scheuern; Dan. skurer; Sw. skura; Arm. scarhein, scurhein or scurya; Fr. ecurer, to scour; Sp. escurar. See the roots גרר and גרע. Class Gr, No. 5, 8.]

1. To rub hard with something rough, for the purpose of cleaning; as, to scour a kettle; to scour a musket; to scour armor.
2. To clean by friction; to make clean or bright.
3. To purge violently.
4. To remove by scouring. Never came reformation in a flood / With such a heady current, scouring faults. Shak.
5. To range about for taking all that can be found; as, to scour the sea of pirates.
6. To pass swiftly over; to brush along; as, to scour the coast. Milton. Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain. Pope.