Scour
/skaʊər/
Definitions
3 meaningsTo clean or polish something by rubbing it vigorously.
/skaʊər/
To clean or brighten the surface of something by rubbing it hard.
He scoured the grime from the old car.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're trying to get a tough stain off a plate. That's what it's like to scour! You rub and rub until it's clean.
👶 For kids: To clean something really well by rubbing it hard.
More Examples
She scoured the sink after washing dishes.
The cleaning solution helps scour away stubborn stains.
How It's Used
"She scoured the pots and pans until they gleamed."
"The factory scours the metal to remove rust."
To search a place or thing thoroughly in order to find something or someone.
/skaʊər/
To search thoroughly and rapidly through an area.
The police scoured the neighborhood for the escaped convict.
💡 Simply: It's like playing hide-and-seek, but you're searching everywhere you can think of to find something or someone.
👶 For kids: To look all over for something, like in every corner!
More Examples
She scoured the internet for information about her family history.
They scoured the entire house for the missing keys.
How It's Used
"The rescue team scoured the forest for the lost hikers."
"The detective scoured the crime scene for clues."
To move rapidly across the surface of something, especially with a wearing or eroding effect.
/skaʊər/
To move rapidly across a surface.
The wind scoured the sand dunes.
💡 Simply: Imagine a strong wind moving so fast and it's removing the material.
👶 For kids: To move really fast across a surface and it's removing the surface.
More Examples
The river scoured the sediment from the riverbed.
The intense storm scoured the hillside.
How It's Used
"The river scoured the banks during the flood."
"The wind scoured across the plains."
Synonyms & Antonyms
From Middle English *scūren*, from Old Norse *skúra* ('to scrub, scour'), from Proto-Germanic *skūraz*. Related to Dutch *schuren* and German *schuren*.
Used since the 14th century, the verb 'scour' initially related to the act of cleaning.
Memory tip
Think of scrubbing until the surface shines.
Word Origin
"to scrub"