a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

scrape (skreɪp)

—vb
1.	to move (a rough or sharp object) across (a surface), esp to smooth or clean
2.	(tr; often foll by away or off) to remove (a layer) by rubbing
3.	to produce a harsh or grating sound by rubbing against (an instrument, surface, etc)
4.	(tr) to injure or damage by rough contact: to scrape one's knee
5.	(intr) to be very economical or sparing in the use (of) (esp in the phrase scrimp and scrape)
6.	(intr) to draw the foot backwards in making a bow
7.	(tr) to finish (a surface) by use of a scraper
8.	(tr) to make (a bearing, etc) fit by scraping
9.	bow and scrape to behave with excessive humility

—n
10.	the act of scraping
11.	a scraped place
12.	a harsh or grating sound
13.	informal an awkward or embarrassing predicament
14.	informal a conflict or struggle

[Old English scrapian; related to Old Norse skrapa, Middle Dutch schrapen, Middle High German schraffen]

'scrapable

—*adj*

'scraper

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

scraper

in engineering, machine for moving earth over short distances (up to about two miles) over relatively smooth areas. Either self-propelled or towed, it consists of a wagon with a gate having a bladed bottom. The blade scrapes up earth as the wagon pushes forward and forces the excavated material into the wagon. When the wagon is filled, the gate is closed, and the material is carried to the place of disposal. The scraper is the dominant tool in highway construction

Learn more about scraper with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source

Word Dynamo Rating For Scraper

People who can define Scraper may know 6,112 words.

How many words do you know?

Remove ads like these. Upgrade now!

Related Words

cabinet scraper core tool footscraper

footscraper grattoir

Matching Quote

"In many places the road was in that condition called repaired, having just been whittled into the required semicylindrical form with the shovel and scraper, with all the softest inequalities in the middle, like a hog's back with the bristles up."

-Henry David Thoreau

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help

scraper

scrap·er