scum

/skʌm/

Thân thiện

A greenish scum floats on the surface of the stagnant pond.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A layer of impurities or unwanted material on a liquid's surface: A film or mass, often foamy or dirty, that forms on the top of a liquid, such as on stagnant water, boiling soup, or molten metal.
   • Worthless or contemptible people: Used figuratively and derogatorily to describe people considered to be the lowest, most immoral, or most despicable part of society.

2. Verb:

   • To remove scum from a liquid: The action of skimming or taking off a layer of impurities from the surface of a liquid.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Physical Layer):
  • A green scum of algae covered the pond.
  • Skim the scum off the top of the jam as it boils.
• Noun (Figurative, People):
  • The dictator referred to political dissidents as the scum of the earth.
  • He believed the thieves and swindlers were just scum.
• Verb:
  • Remember to scum the broth before adding the vegetables.
  • The process involves scumming the molten iron to remove impurities.

Advanced Usage

• "the scum of the earth": An idiom expressing extreme contempt, describing people considered utterly vile or despicable.
  • The traffickers were described as the scum of the earth.
• "to rise to the surface like scum": A metaphorical phrase suggesting that bad or undesirable elements eventually become visible.
  • In times of crisis, the worst prejudices rise to the surface like scum.

Variants and Related Words

• Scummy (adjective): Covered with or resembling scum; (figuratively) vile or contemptible.
  • The scummy water was unfit for swimming.
  • That was a scummy thing to do to a friend.

Synonyms

• Noun (Layer): Film, froth, dross, impurities, crust.
• Noun (People): Dregs, rabble, riffraff, lowlife, trash.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Scum" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. The verb form is typically used transitively on its own.)

Related Idioms

• "Scum rises to the top": A proverb suggesting that in bad systems, the worst people often achieve positions of power or visibility.
  • In that corrupt organization, it's no surprise that scum rises to the top.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a film of impurities or vegetation that can form on the surface of a liquid
2. worthless people

Verb

1. remove the scum from

Từ đồng nghĩa

• trash