scarfs

[skahrf] Origin

scarf

1[skahrf] noun, plural scarfs, scarves [skahrvz] , verb
noun
1.
a long, broad strip of wool, silk, lace, or other material worn about the neck, shoulders, or head, for ornament or protection against cold, drafts, etc.; muffler.
2.
a necktie or cravat with hanging ends.
3.
a long cover or ornamental cloth for a bureau, table, etc.
verb (used with object)
4.
to cover or wrap with or as if with a scarf.
5.
to use in the manner of a scarf.

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Scarfs is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.

Origin:
1545–55; perhaps special use of scarf2

scarf·less, adjective
scarf·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged

scarf

2[skahrf] noun, plural scarfs, verb
noun
1.
a tapered or otherwise-formed end on each of the pieces to be assembled with a scarf joint.
2.
Whaling. a strip of skin along the body of the whale.
verb (used with object)
3.
to assemble with a scarf joint.
4.
to form a scarf on (the end of a timber).
5.
Steelmaking. to burn away the surface defects of (newly rolled steel).
6.
Whaling. to make a groove in and remove (the blubber and skin).
Also, scarph (for defs. 1, 3, 4).


Origin:
1490–1500; < Old Norse skarfr (derivative of skera to cut) end cut from a beam (hence perhaps a piece of cloth cut off, i.e., scarf1); compare Swedish skarv patch

scarf·er, noun

scarf

3[skahrf]
verb (used with object), verb (used without object) Slang.
to eat, especially voraciously (often followed by down or up): to scarf down junk food.

Origin:
1955–60, Americanism; variant of scoff2, with r inserted probably through r-dialect speakers' mistaking the underlying vowel as an r-less ar
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To scarfs
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

scarf
"connecting joint," 1276, probably from O.N. skarfr "nail for fastening a joint." A general North Sea Gmc. ship-building word (cf. Du. scherf, Swed. skarf, Norw. skarv), the exact relationship of all these is unclear. Also borrowed into Romanic (cf. Fr. écart, Sp. escarba); perhaps ult. from P.Gmc.
EXPAND
*skerf-, *skarf- (cf. O.E. sceorfan "to gnaw, bite").
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

scarf definition


  1. tv.
    to eat something. : Andy scarfed the whole pie.
  2. in.
    to eat. : I'll be with you as soon as I scarf.
  3. n.
    food. : I want some good scarf. This stuff stinks.
  4. tv.
    to steal or swipesomething. : The kid scarfed a candy bar, and the store owner called the cops.
  5. tv.
    to discard something. : Scarf that thing. It's no good.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT