Definition

1. Noun:

   • An indication of damage: A mark or area where a surface has been worn, scratched, or abraded.
   • A deep bow with the foot drawn backwards: A gesture of excessive humility or servility.
   • A harsh noise made by scraping: A rough, grating sound produced when two surfaces rub together.

2. Verb:

   • To injure the skin or surface: To damage or graze a surface by rubbing against something rough.
   • To gather resources over time: To collect or accumulate something, especially money, with difficulty or in small amounts.
   • To bend the knees and bow in a servile manner: To show excessive deference or humility.
   • To cut or wear away the surface: To remove material from a surface by applying friction with a sharp or hard object.
   • To make by scraping: To create something by scraping a surface.
   • To scratch repeatedly: To make a repeated, often annoying, scratching motion or sound.

Examples

• Noun:

  • There was a long scrape on the side of the car from the accident.
  • His constant scrape and bow before the king was embarrassing.
  • The scrape of chalk on the blackboard set my teeth on edge.

• Verb:

  • He fell off his bike and scraped his elbow badly.
  • She managed to scrape together enough cash for the train ticket.
  • The servant would scrape before his master.
  • You need to scrape the old paint off the window frame before repainting.
  • The artist scraped a beautiful pattern into the wet clay.
  • The dog kept trying to scrape at the door to be let out.

Advanced Usage

• "To scrape by/along": To manage to live or survive with barely enough money or resources.

  • After losing his job, the family had to scrape by on very little.

• "To scrape the bottom of the barrel": To use the last and worst resources or options available because nothing better is left.

  • Hiring him shows they're really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

• "To scrape through": To barely succeed or pass, especially in a test or difficult situation.

  • He didn't study much but somehow scraped through the exam.

Variants and Related Words

• Scraper (n): A tool used for scraping surfaces.

  • He used a paint scraper to remove the old varnish.

• Scraping (n): The action or sound of scraping; also, a small amount of something collected by scraping.

  • The scraping of the shovel was loud.
  • He added a scraping of butter to the bread.

Synonyms

• Noun (for a mark): Scratch, graze, abrasion.
• Verb (to injure skin): Graze, skin, abrade.
• Verb (to gather): Accumulate, amass, squirrel away.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Scrape off: To remove something from a surface by scraping.

  • Scrape off the mud from your boots before coming inside.

• Scrape up: To gather or collect something, especially with difficulty (similar to "scrape together").

  • Can you scrape up the courage to ask her?

Related Idioms

• "Bow and scrape": To behave in an excessively obedient or humble way.

  • I refuse to bow and scrape to anyone just to get a promotion.

• "Have a scrape with someone/something": To have a brief, often minor, argument or encounter.

  • He had a scrape with the law when he was younger.

Noun

1. an indication of damage
2. a deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility)
   • all that bowing and scraping did not impress him
3. an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off
4. a harsh noise made by scraping
   • the scrape of violin bows distracted her

Verb

1. bruise, cut, or injure the skin or the surface of
   • The boy skinned his knee when he fell
2. gather (money or other resources) together over time
   • She had scraped together enough money for college
   • they scratched a meager living
3. bend the knees and bow in a servile manner
4. cut the surface of; wear away the surface of
5. make by scraping
   • They scraped a letter into the stone
6. scratch repeatedly
   • The cat scraped at the armchair