Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SCOFF, v.t.

To treat with derision or scorn. – Fotherby

SCOFF'ED, pp.

Treated with derision or scorn.

SCOFF'ER, n.

One who scoffs; one that mocks, derides or reproaches in the language of contempt; a scorner. There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” – 2 Pet. iii.

SCOFF'ING, ppr.

Deriding or mocking; treating with reproachful language.

SCOFF'ING-LY, adv.

In mockery or contempt; by way of derision. Aristotle applied this hemistich scoffingly to the sycophants at Athens. – Broome.

SCOLD, n.

1. A rude, clamorous, foul-mouthed woman. Scolds answer foul-mouth'd scolds. – Swift.
2. A scolding; a brawl.

SCOLD, v.i. [D. schelden; G. schelten; Dan: skielder, rail, to scold; Sw. skalla, to sound or ring; skallra, to snap or crack; skålla, to bark, to scold. It seems to be formed on the root of G. schelle, a bell, a jingle, a box on the ear; schellen, schallen, to ring; D. schel, schellen. If s is a prefix, this word coincides with call, and Sax. galan, to sing, gyllan, gielan, to yell.]

To find fault or rail with rude clamor; to brawl; to utter railing or harsh, rude, boisterous rebuke; with at; as, to scold at a servant. A scolding tongue, a scolding wife, a scolding husband, a scolding master, who can endure? Pardon me, 'tis the first time that ever / I'm forc'd to scold. – Shak.

SCOLD, v.t.

To chide with rudeness and boisterous clamor; to rate. – Boswell. [The transitive use of this word is of recent origin, at least within my knowledge.]

SCOLD-ER, n.

One that scolds or rails.

SCOLD-ING, n.

The uttering of rude, clamorous language by way of rebuke or railing; railing language.

SCOLD-ING, ppr.

1. Railing with clamor; uttering rebuke in rude and boisterous language.
2. adj. Given to scolding.

SCOLD-ING-LY, adv.

With rude clamor or railing.

SCOL'LOP, n.

1. A pectinated shell. [See Scallop.]
2. An indenting or cut like those of a shell.

SCOL'LOP, v.t.

To form or cut with scollops. [See Scallop.]

SCOL-O-PEN'DRA, n. [Gr. σκολοπενδρα.]

1. A venomous serpent. – Johnson.
2. A genus of insects of the order Myriapoda, destitute of wings. These insects have as many feet on each side as there are segments in the body. There are several species. – Dict. Nat. Hist.

SCOM'BE-ROID, n.

The scomberoids (or mackerel tribe) are a family of fishes, of which the scomber is the type. – Brande.

SCOMM, n. [L. scomma; Gr. σκωμμα, from σκωπτω. See Scoff.]

1. A buffoon. [Not in use.] – L'Estrange.
2. A flout; a jeer. [Not in use.]

SCONCE, n.¹ [D. schans; G. schanze; D. skands; Sw. skans, a fort or castle, a fortification.]

1. A fort or bulwark; a work for defense. [Obs.] – Shak.
2. A hanging or projecting candlestick, generally with a mirror to reflect the light. Golden sconces hang upon the walls. – Dryden.
3. The circular tube with a brim in a candlestick, into which the candle is inserted, that is, the support, the holder of the candle; and from this sense the candlestick, in the preceding definition, has its name.
4. A fixed seat or shelf. [Local.]

SCONCE, n.² [D. skiönner, to judge, to discern; skiönsom, judicious.]

1. Sense; judgment; discretion or understanding. This sense has been in vulgar use in New England within my memory.
2. The head; a low word. – Shak.
3. A mulet or fine. [Qu. poll-tax.]

SCONCE, v.t.

To mulct; to fine. – Warton. [A low word and not in use.]

SCOOP, n. [D. schop, a scoop, and a shovel; G. schüppe; schupp, a shove; schuppen, to push or shove; Sw. skuff; a shove; Dan. skuffe, a scoop, a shovel, a box or drawer; D. schuif, schuiven, to shove; Fr. ecope; Arm. esgop or scop.]

1. A large ladle; a vessel with a long handle fastened to a dish, used for dipping liquors; also, a little hollow piece of wood for bailing boats.
2. An instrument of surgery. – Sharp.
3. A sweep; a stroke; a swoop. – Shak.

SCOOP, v.t.

1. To lade out; properly, to take out with a scoop or with a sweeping motion. He scoop'd the water from the crystal flood. – Dryden.
2. To empty by lading; as, he scooped it dry. – Addison.
3. To make hollow, as a scoop or dish; to excavate; as, the Indians scoop the trunk of a tree into a canoe. Those carbuncles the Indians will scoop, so as to hold above a pint. – Arbuthnot.
4. To remove, so as to leave a place hollow. A spectator would think this circular mount had been actually scooped out of that hollow space. – Spectator.

SCOOP'ED, pp.

Taken out as with a scoop or ladle; hollowed; excavated; removed so as to leave a hollow.

SCOOP'ER, n.

One that scoops; also, a water-fowl.

SCOOP'ING, ppr.

Lading out; making hollow; excavating; removing so as to leave a hollow.