Etymology dictionary

schnook (n.) — score (v.)

schnook (n.)

"simpleton, dope," 1948, probably from Yiddish shnuk "elephant's trunk," or altered from schmuck (q.v.), or perhaps from German schnucke "a small sheep," used in U.S. Yiddish for "a customer easily persuaded, a sucker."

schnorrer (n.)

"a scrounger, a vagabond," 1892 (Zangwill), originally "a Jewish beggar," from Yiddish, "beggar," from German slang schnurrer, from schnurren "to go begging" (slang), which is perhaps ultimately imitative of the sound of pleading or whining (compare sneer, snorkel, snarl).

schnozz (n.)

"nose," 1942, from Yiddish shnoitsl, from German Schnauze "snout, muzzle," which is related to Middle English snute, snoute "snout" (see snout). Compare schnauzer.

scholar (n.)

Middle English scolere, from Old English scolere "student, one who receives instruction in a school, one who learns from a teacher," from Medieval Latin scholaris, "a pupil, scholar," noun use of Late Latin scholaris "of a school," from Latin schola (see school (n.1), and compare scholastic).

The Medieval Latin word was widely borrowed (Old French escoler, French écolier, Old High German scuolari, German Schüler). Not common in English before 14c. and the modern use might be a reborrowing. In British English it typically has been restricted to those who attend a school on a scholarship (1510s).

The spelling in sch- begins to appear late 14c. The broader meaning "learned person," especially one having great knowledge of philosophy and classical literature, is from late 13c.

scholarch (n.)

"head of a school," especially an Athenian school of philosophy, 1863, from Latinized form of Greek skholarkhēs, from skholē (see school (n.1)) + arkhein "to rule" (see archon). Also in modern use in reference to school inspectors in various districts on the continent.

scholarly (adj.)

"of, pertaining to, or denoting a scholar or scholarly pursuits," 1630s, from scholar + -ly (1). "Not in Johnson or Todd" [OED]. An older word was scholarlike (1570s). Related: Scholarliness.

scholarship (n.)

1530s, "status of a scholar," from scholar + -ship. The meaning "learning, erudition, character and qualities of a scholar" is from 1580s; the sense of "source of funds for support or maintenance of a scholar" is from 1580s.

Other nouns in similar senses are or were scholardom "the realm of scholars" (1853); scholarhood "body of scholars" (1837); scholarity, now obsolete, was "status of a scholar" (1590s), and Joyce uses scholarment.

scholastic (adj.)

1590s, "of or pertaining to Scholastic theologians" (Churchmen in the Middle Ages whose theology and philosophy was based on Church Fathers and Aristotle), from French scholastique (14c.), from Latin scholasticus "of a school," from Greek skholastikos "enjoying leisure; devoting one's leisure to learning," hence, as a noun, "a scholar," also in a bad sense, "a pedant; a simpleton," from skholē "leisure" (see school (n.1)). Greek scholastēs meant "one who lives at ease."

In English, the meaning "pertaining to or suited to schools or to school education" is from 1640s. As a noun in English from 1640s, "a Schoolman, an adherent of scholasticism, a Christian Aristotelian." Related: Scholastical (early 15c., scolasticalle, "relating to scholasticism;" 1530s in the "relating to a school" sense); scholastically.

scholasticism (n.)

"Aristotelian teachings of the medieval schools and universities of Europe, characterized by, among other things, a stiff and formal method of discussion," 1732, from scholastic in its oldest sense + -ism.

scholiast (n.)

"commentator, annotator," especially "an ancient grammarian who writes explanatory notes upon a classical writer," 1580s, from Late Latin scholiasta, from Late Greek skholiastēs, from skholiazein, from skholion "explanatory note or comment," from skholē (see school (n.1)). Related: Scholiastic.

school (n.1)

[place of instruction] Middle English scole, from Old English scol, "institution for instruction," from Latin schola "meeting place for teachers and students, place of instruction;" also "learned conversation, debate; lecture; disciples of a teacher, body of followers, sect," also in the older Greek sense of "intermission of work, leisure for learning."

This is from Greek skholē "spare time, leisure, rest, ease; idleness; that in which leisure is employed; learned discussion;" also "a place for lectures, school;" originally "a holding back, a keeping clear," from skhein "to get" (from PIE root *segh- "to hold") + -olē by analogy with bolē "a throw," stolē "outfit," etc.

The basic sense of the Greek word is "leisure," which passed to "otiose discussion" (in Athens or Rome, the favorite or proper use of free time), then it came to be used for the place for such discussion.

The Latin word was widely borrowed (in addition to Old French escole, French école, Spanish escuela, Italian scuola; Old High German scuola, German Schule, Swedish skola, Gaelic sgiol, Welsh ysgol, Russian shkola).

The meaning "students attending a school" in English is attested from c. 1300; the sense of "school building" is by 1590s. Sense of "people united by a general similarity of principles and methods" is from 1610s; hence school of thought (by 1848). As an adjective by mid-18c., "pertaining to or relating to a school or to education."

School of hard knocks "rough experience in life" is by 1870; to tell tales out of school "betray damaging secrets" is from 1540s. School-bus is from 1908. School days is from 1590s. School board "local committee of education" is by 1836; school district "division of a town or city for the management of schools" is by 1809.

school (v.2)

"collect or swim in schools," as fish, 1590s, from school (n.2). Related: Schooled; schooling.

schooling (n.)

mid-15c., scolyng, scoling "training, instruction in school; act of teaching; fact of being taught," verbal noun from school (v.1).

school (n.2)

[large number of fish] late 14c., scole, from Middle Dutch schole (Dutch school) "group of fish or other animals" (porpoises, whales), which is cognate with Old English scolu "band, troop, crowd of fish," both from West Germanic *skulo- (source also of Old Saxon scola "troop, multitude," West Frisian skoal), perhaps with a literal sense of "division," and from PIE root *skel- (1) "to cut." Compare shoal (n.2)), the assibilated form of the same word. For possible sense development, compare section (n.) from Latin secare "to cut."

school (v.1)

"educate, instruct;" also "reprimand, discipline, reprove," mid-15c., scolen, from school (n.1). Especially "to train or discipline thoroughly and strictly," as in a school (1570s).

schooled (adj.)

"taught, trained, disciplined," 1821, past-participle adjective from school (v.1).

schoolboy (n.)

also school-boy, "boy attending school," 1580s, from school (n.1) + boy. As an adjective from 1874. Phrase every schoolboy knows, in reference to basic factual information, is by 1650s (Jeremy Taylor). Related: Schoolboyish.

school-book (n.)

also schoolbook, "book used in schools," by 1709, from school (n.1) + book (n.).

schoolgirl (n.)

also school-girl, "girl attending a school," 1777, from school (n.1) + girl. As an adjective from 1922.

school-house (n.)

also schoolhouse, "building appropriated for school use, place where students are taught," c. 1300, scole-hous (late 13c. in place names), from school (n.1) + house (n.). Latin schola was translated in Old English as larhus, literally "lore house;" see lore (n.). But this seems to have been a glossary word only.

schoolmarm (n.)

also school-marm, "female school teacher," 1834, American English colloquial, in the popular countrified humor writing of "Major Jack Downing" of Maine (Seba Smith); a variant of school-ma'am (1828), from school (n.1) + ma'am. See R. Used figuratively from 1887 in reference to patronizing and priggish instruction.

School-mistress "woman who teaches in a school" is attested from c. 1500 (mid-14c. as a surname, scole-maistres). School-dame (1650s) was generally "an old woman who keeps a school for small children."

school-master (n.)

also schoolmaster, "man who presides over a school," c. 1200, scole-maister; see school (n.1) + master (n.).

schoolmate (n.)

also school-mate, "one of either sex who attends the same school," 1560s, from school (n.1) + mate (n.1). The older word was school-fellow "one educated at the same school" (mid-15c.).

schoolroom (n.)

also school-room, "room for teaching," by 1708, from school (n.1) + room (n.).

school-teacher (n.)

"one who gives regular instruction in schools," by 1839, from school (n.1) + teacher.

schooner (n.)

fore-and-aft rigged vessel, originally with but two masts, 1716, perhaps from a New England verb related to Scottish scon "to send over water, to skip stones." Skeat relates this dialectal verb to shunt. The spelling probably was influenced by Dutch, but Dutch schoener is a loan-word from English, as are German Schoner, French schooner, Swedish skonert. The type of ship itself is said to have been first built in Gloucester, Mass., shipyard.

Meaning "tall beer glass" is by 1879, of unknown origin or connection to the sailing ship word (the ships are not noted for their size); OED calls it a "fanciful use" of it.

schottische (n.)

round dance resembling a polka, 1849, from German Schottische, from schottische (tanz) "Scottish (dance)," from Schotte "a native of Scotland," from Old High German Scotto, from Late Latin Scottus (see Scot). The pronunciation is French. Also the music for such a dance.

Schrödinger's cat

by 1972 in reference to the thought experiment proposed in 1935 by Austrian-born physicist Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961) in correspondence with Albert Einstein about quantum mechanics. Schrödinger was pointing out a problem in the then-prevailing interpretation of the science. Einstein had written, as an example, about an unstable keg of gunpowder that will in some quantum sense exist in both exploded and unexploded states. To point out the flaw Schrödinger wrote "One can even set up quite ridiculous cases," and described the cat situation, in which the animal is both dead and alive until its state has been observed.

schuhplattler (n.)

lively Alpine folk dance, 1874, from German Schuhplattler, from schuh "shoe" (see shoe (n.)) + south German dialectal plattler, from platteln "to dance."

Schutzstaffel

internal security force of Nazi Germany, 1930, German, literally "defense squadron." Better known by its initials, S.S.

schvartze (n.)

also schvartzer, "black person" (somewhat derogatory), 1961, Yiddish, from schvarts "black" (see swarthy). Perhaps originally a code word to refer to black servants when they were within earshot, as its German cognate, Schwarze, is said to have been used:

schwa (n.)

natural vowel; a vowel sound often found in weak, unstressed syllables (represented by an inverted e), 1895 in philology, from German Schwa, ultimately from Hebrew shewa "a neutral vowel quality," literally "emptiness."

schwarmerei (n.)

"fanatical enthusiasm for a cause or person, blindly shared by the masses;" 1845, a German word in a specialized philosophical sense taken whole into English (in the Edinburgh Review, which adds "a word untranslatable, because the thing itself is un-English"), from German Schwärmerei "noisy, dissolute pleasures; religious fanaticism," from schwärmen "to swarm," figuratively "to be enthusiastic" (related to the noun Schwarm; see swarm (n.)).

The second element might be the German equivalent of -ery, but the sense is not clear. Perhaps the meaning in -rei is essentially diminutive and also denotes ridiculousness or contemptibility [a suggestion from D. Boileau, "Nature and Genius of the German Language," 1843, who cites among other examples Liebelei, "vulgar, insipid sweet-hearting," Ausländerei "too-frequent use of foreign words." Also compare later Schweinerei, "obnoxious behavior; a repulsive incident or thing," literally "piggishness"].

Used in German by Kant, Schelling, Hölderlin; used in late 19c. English by Carlyle, Ruskin, etc.

In mid-20c. also "schoolgirl crush." Related: Schwärmerisch.

Schwenkfeldian (n.)

1560s, from Kasper Schwenkfeld (1490-1561), Silesian Protestant mystic who founded the sect. Their original name for themselves was Confessors of the Glory of Christ. Schwenkfelder (n.) is attested from 1882.

sciamachy (n.)

1620s, "sham-fight for exercise or practice," from Latinized form of Greek skiamakhia "shadow-fighting, a sham fight," from skia "shade, shadow" (see Ascians) + makhē "battle" (see -machy). The notion in the Greek word is said sometimes to be "fighting in the shade" (i.e. practicing in school; ancient teachers taught in shaded public places such as porches and groves), but it seems also to have had a sense of "fighting with shadows, shadow-boxing." In English, often figurative, of futile combat with an imaginary enemy.

sciatic (adj.)

"pertaining to or connected with the hip, affecting the hip," also in reference to the large nerve from the pelvis to the thigh, 1540s, from French sciatique (14c.), from Medieval Latin sciaticus (see sciatica).

sciatica (n.)

"disease characterized by pain in the sciatic nerve," c. 1400, from Medieval Latin sciatica, in sciatica passio "sciatic disease," fem. of sciaticus "sciatic," a corruption of Latin ischiadicus "of pain in the hip," from Greek iskhiadikos, from iskhias (genitive iskhiados) "pain in the hips," from iskhion "hip joint, socket in which the thigh-bone turns." Compare euiskhios "with beautiful hips" (Hellenistic poetry). Related: Sciatical.

science (n.)

mid-14c., "state or fact of knowing; what is known, knowledge (of something) acquired by study; information;" also "assurance of knowledge, certitude, certainty," from Old French science "knowledge, learning, application; corpus of human knowledge" (12c.), from Latin scientia "knowledge, a knowing; expertness," from sciens (genitive scientis) "intelligent, skilled," present participle of scire "to know."

The original notion in the Latin verb probably is "to separate one thing from another, to distinguish," or else "to incise." This is related to scindere "to cut, divide" (from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split;" source also of Greek skhizein "to split, rend, cleave," Gothic skaidan, Old English sceadan "to divide, separate").

OED writes that the oldest English sense of the word now is restricted to theology and philosophy. From late 14c. in English as "book-learning," also "a particular branch of knowledge or of learning, systematized knowledge regarding a particular group of objects;" also "skillfulness, cleverness; craftiness." From c. 1400 as "experiential knowledge;" also "a skill resulting from training, handicraft; a trade."

From late 14c. in the more specific sense of "collective human knowledge," especially that gained by systematic observation, experiment, and reasoning. The modern (restricted) sense of "body of regular or methodical observations or propositions concerning a particular subject or speculation" is attested by 1725; in 17c.-18c. this commonly was philosophy.

The sense of "non-arts studies" is attested from 1670s. The distinction is commonly understood as between theoretical truth (Greek epistemē) and methods for effecting practical results (tekhnē), but science sometimes is used for practical applications and art for applications of skill.

The predominant modern use, "natural and physical science," generally restricted to study of the phenomena of the material universe and its laws, is by mid-19c.

science fiction (n.)

1929 (in advertisements for "Air Wonder Stories" magazine), though there is an isolated use from 1851. See science + fiction. Earlier in same sense was scientifiction (by 1926). Abbreviated form sci-fi is by 1955.

scienter (adv.)

legal Latin, "knowingly, intentionally," from sciens, present participle of scire "to know" (see science) + adverbial suffix -ter.

scientific (adj.)

1580s, "concerned with the acquisition of accurate and systematic knowledge of principles by observation and deduction," from French scientifique, from Medieval Latin scientificus "pertaining to science," from Latin scientia "knowledge" (see science) + -ficus "making, doing," from combining form of facere "to make, to do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). The Latin word was used originally to translate Greek epistēmonikos "making knowledge" in Aristotle's "Ethics."

By 1670s as "guided by the principles of science," hence "learned, skillful;" by 1722 as "of, pertaining to, or used in science." By 1794 as "according to the rules of science."

Sciential (mid-15c., sciencial, "based on knowledge," from Latin scientialis) is the classical purists' choice for an adjective based on science. Scientic (1540s) and scient ("learned" late 15c.) also have been used. Scientistic (1878), however, is depreciative, "making pretentions to scientific method but not right."

The phrase scientific revolution for "rapid and widespread development of science" is attested from 1803; scientific method is by 1835; scientific notation is from 1961. Related: Scientifical; scientifically.

scientism (n.)

"belief in the omnipotence of scientific knowledge and methods and in their applicability to everything," a derogatory term, by 1870 (G.B. Shaw); see science + -ism. An earlier word was scientificism (1825) "restriction of analysis or explanation to what is scientifically demonstrable."

scientist (n.)

"person versed in or devoted to science," 1834, a hybrid coined from Latin scientia (see science) by the Rev. William Whewell, English polymath, by analogy with artist, in the same paragraph in which he coined physicist (q.v.). There is an isolated use of sciencist from 1778, and scientician was used in 1885. Scientaster "petty or inferior scientist" is by 1899 (see -aster).

Scientology (n.)

1951, system of beliefs founded by U.S. author L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986); a hybrid word coined by him. In the book "Scientology: 8-80" (1952, The Hubbard Association of Scientologists Inc.) Hubbard described his thinking in coining the word:

The elements of it are Latin scire "to know" (for which see science) and Greek logos "word, speech, statement, discourse," also "computation, account," also "reason," from PIE *log-o-, suffixed form of root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather," with derivatives meaning "to speak," on notion of "to pick out words." There was a German scientologie (A. Nordenholz, 1937). Related: Scientologist.

scilicet (adv.)

"that is, namely, to wit," late 14c., a Latin word used in English, "you may know, you may be sure, it is certain," used in sense "that is to say, namely," a contraction of scire licit "it is permitted to know," from scire "to know" (see science); for second element see licit. It was used as was Old English hit is to witanne, literally "it is to wit" (see wit (v.)). Often abbreviated sc. or scil.

Scilly

isles off Cornwall, a name of unknown origin. Pliny has Silumnus, Silimnis. Perhaps it is connected with the Roman god Sulis (compare Aquae sulis "Bath," literally "waters of Sulis"). The -y might be Old Norse ey "island." The -c- was added 16c.-17c. "[A]bout the only certain thing that can be said is that the c of the modern spelling is not original but was added for distinction from ModE silly as this word developed in meaning from 'happy, blissful' to 'foolish.'" ["Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names"].

scimitar (n.)

"short, curved, single-edged sword," a characteristic weapon of the Turks and Persians, 1540s, cimiterie, from French cimeterre (15c.) or Italian scimitarra, words of uncertain origin. Turkish would be the expected source of them, but no such word has been found there. Perhaps it is from Persian shimshir (pronounced "shamsher," compare Greek sampsera "a barbarian sword," from Persian), but the OED finds this "unsatisfactory as to form."

The modern spelling is from influence of the Italian form of the word. Century Dictionary (1895) has simitar as preferred spelling, and notes, "This word, owing to its Oriental origin and associations, to ignorance of its original form, and to the imitation now of the F. now of the It. spelling, has appeared in a great variety of forms."

scintillate (v.)

1620s, "to sparkle or twinkle," as the fixed stars do, and typically with reference to them, from Latin scintillatus, past participle of scintillare "to sparkle, glitter, gleam, flash," from scintilla "spark" (see scintilla). Figurative use is by 1751 (implied in scintillation). Related: Scintillated; scintillating.

scintillation (n.)

"the emitting of sparks or spark-like flashes," specifically the tremulous twinkling of stars in the night sky, 1620s, from Latin scintillationem (nominative scintillatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of scintillare "to sparkle, glitter, gleam, flash," from scintilla "spark" (see scintilla).

scintillant (adj.)

"sparkling, glittering, gleaming" as fixed stars do, c. 1600 in heraldry, from Latin scintillantem (nominative scintillans), present participle of scintillare "to sparkle, glitter, gleam, flash," from scintilla "spark" (see scintilla).

scintilla (n.)

1690s, "a spark, a glimmer," hence "least particle, trace," from figurative use of Latin scintilla "particle of fire, spark, glittering speck, atom," which traditionally is traced to PIE root *skai- "to shine, to gleam" (source also of Gothic skeinan, Old English scinan "to shine;" see shine (v.)), but there are phonetic objections.

sciolism (n.)

"a show of knowledge, unfounded pretense to profound knowledge," 1798; see sciolist + -ism.

sciolist (n.)

1610s, "a smatterer, pretender to knowledge," a term of contempt, from Late Latin sciolus "one who knows a little," diminutive of scius "knowing," from scire "to know" (see science) + -ist. Related: Sciolistic; sciolous.

sciomancy (n.)

"divination by communication with the shades of the dead," 1620s, from Modern Latin sciomantia, from scio-, Latinized combining form of Greek skia "shade, shadow" (see Ascians) + Latinized form of Greek manteia (see -mancy). Related: Sciomantic; sciomancer.

scion (n.)

c. 1300, sioun, "a shoot or twig," especially one for grafting, also figurative, from Old French sion, cion "descendant; shoot, twig; offspring" (12c., Modern French scion, Picard chion), a word of uncertain origin. OED rejects derivation from Old French scier "to saw" (as if originally "a sawing, a cutting") on formal grounds. Perhaps it is a diminutive of a Frankish word, from Proto-Germanic *kidon-, from PIE *geie- "to sprout, split, open" (see chink (n.1) ).

The meaning "an heir, child, a descendant" in English is from mid-14c., a figurative use. The proper spelling would be sion; the -c- in the French word, and hence in the English, is unetymological, as it is in scythe, apparently by influence of Latin scindere "to cut." Fem. form scioness seems to have been used mostly for humorous effect.

sciophobia (n.)

"fear of shadows," 1977, from scio-, Latinized combining form of Greek skia "shade, shadow" (see Ascians) + -phobia. Related: sciophobe; sciophobic.

sciotheism (n.)

"ancestor-worship, deification of the shades of the dead," 1886 (Huxley); from Latinized combining form of Greek skia "shade, shadow" (see Ascians); also see theism.

scirrhous (n.)

"resembling or of the nature of a hard tumor," 1560s, from French scirrheux (16c., Modern French squirreux), from Modern Latin scirrhosus, from Latin scirros "a hard swelling, tumor," from Greek skirrhos "hard tumor, callus; hard, scrubby ground," related to skiros (adj.) "hard;" a word of unknown origin. Scirrhus "a hard tumor" is attested from c. 1600.

scissile (adj.)

"capable of being cut or divided," 1620s, from Latin scissilis, from scindere "to cut" (from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split").

scission (n.)

"act of cutting or dividing," mid-15c., from French scission (14c.), from Late Latin scissionem (nominative scissio) "a cleaving, dividing," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin scindere "to cut, rend, tear asunder, split; split up, part, divide, separate" (from PIE *skind-, from root *skei- "to cut, split").

scissors (n.)

"pair of shears of medium or small size," late 14c., sisoures, also cisours, sesours, cisurs, etc., from Old French cisoires (plural) "shears," from Vulgar Latin *cisoria (plural) "cutting instrument," from *cisus (in compounds such as Latin excisus, past participle of excidere "to cut out"), ultimately from Latin caedere "to cut" (from PIE root *kae-id- "to strike").

The spelling was highly uncertain before 20c. The forms with sc- are from 16c., by influence of Medieval Latin scissor "tailor," in classical Latin "carver, cutter," from past-participle stem of unrelated scindere "to split."

Usually with pair of (attested from c. 1400) when indication of just one is required, but a singular form without the -s occasionally was used (cysowre, mid-15c., but Middle English Compendium reports that is "only in glossaries"). In Scotland, shears (the native word) answers for all sizes, according to OED; but in England generally that word is used only for those too large to be worked by one hand. Sense in wrestling, "a grip with the legs or ankles," is by 1904. In reference to a type of swimming kick, from 1902 (the image itself is from 1880s). Oh scissors! was a 19c. exclamation of impatience or disgust (1843).

scissor (v.)

1610s, "to cut with scissors;" by 1961 with reference to leg motions (in the wrestling sense it is attested from 1968; in rugby by 1970); see scissors. Related: Scissored; scissoring.

SCLC (n.)

initialism (acronym) of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, founded 1957 by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin, and others.

sclera (n.)

"hard coat of the eyeball," 1886, medical Latin, from Greek sklēra (menix) "the hard (membrane)," fem. of sklēros "hard" (see sclero-).

sclero-

before vowels scler-, word-forming element meaning "hard," from Latinized form of Greek sklēros "hard, harsh," which is related to skellein "to dry up, parch" (from PIE *skle-ro-, from root *skele- "to parch, wither").

scleroderma (n.)

"chronic non-inflammatory skin condition which presents in hard patches on the skin," 1865, Modern Latin, from Latinized form of Greek sklēros "hard" (see sclero-) + derma "skin" (from PIE root *der- "to split, flay, peel," with derivatives referring to skin and leather). Also sclerodermia. Related: Sclerodermatous; sclerodermic; sclerodermatic.

sclerosis (n.)

"a hardening," especially "morbid hardening of the tissue," late 14c., from Medieval Latin sclerosis "a hardness, hard tumor," from Greek sklērosis "hardening," from sklēros "hard" (see sclero-). Figurative use, "excessive resistance to change," is by 1954.

sclerotic (adj.)

early 15c., "pertaining to sclerosis," from medical Latin scleroticus, from Greek skleroun (see sclerosis). Figurative meaning "unchanging, rigid" is from 1961.

scoff (v.)

mid-14c., "jest, make light of something;" mid-15c., "ridicule, mock," from a noun meaning "contemptuous ridicule" (c. 1300), which is from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skaup, skop "mockery, ridicule," Middle Danish skof "jest, mockery;" perhaps from Proto-Germanic *skub-, *skuf- (source also of Old English scop "poet," Old High German scoph "fiction, sport, jest, derision"), from PIE *skeubh- "to shove" (see shove (v.)). Related: Scoffed; scoffing.

scoffage (n.)

"act or fact of scoffing," 1630s; see scoff (v.) + -age. An older noun is scoffery (1570s), and the verbal noun scoffing is from late 14c.

scoffer (n.)

"one who expresses derision or mocking scorn," late 15c., agent noun from scoff (v.). Formerly often with religion as an object.

scofflaw (n.)

"person who disregards laws," 1924, from scoff (v.) + law (n.). The winning entry (from among more than 25,000) in a national contest during Prohibition to coin a word to characterize a person who drinks illegally. The $200 prize was shared by two contestants who sent in the word separately: Henry Irving Dale and Miss Kate L. Butler.

Similar attempts did not stick, such as pitilacker (1926), winning entry in a contest by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to establish a scolding word for one who deliberately mistreats animals (submitted by Mrs. M. McIlvaine Bready of Mickleton, N.J.).

scold (v.)

late 14c., scolden, "be abusive; be quarrelsome," from scold (n.). "Now with milder sense ... To use undignified vehemence or persistence in reproof or fault-finding" [OED]. Transitive sense "chide or find fault with" (someone) is by 1715. Related: Scolded; scolding. Among the many collections of 15th century terms of association appears a skoldenge of kempsters for "a group of wool- or flax-combers."

scold (n.)

mid-12c., "person of ribald speech;" c. 1300, "person fond of chiding abusive language," especially a shrewish woman [Johnson defines the noun as "A clamourous, rude, mean, low, foul-mouthed woman"], from Old Norse skald "poet" (see skald).

The sense evolution might reflect the fact that Germanic poets (like their Celtic counterparts) were famously feared for their ability to lampoon and mock (as in skaldskapr "poetry," also, in Icelandic law books, "libel in verse").

The noun meaning "act of scolding" is by 1726 but seems not to have been in common use. In old law, common scold (Latin communis rixatrix) is from late 15c.

scolex (n.)

"embryo stage of a tapeworm," 1852, from Modern Latin scolex (plural scoleces), from Greek skōlēx "worm," related to skolyptesthai "to twist and turn" (usually said to be from PIE *skel- "bend, curve;" see scoliosis, but Beekes is dubious). Related: Scolecoid.

scoliosis (n.)

"lateral curvature of the spine," 1706, medical Latin, from Latinized form of Greek skoliosis "crookedness," from skolios "bent, curved," from PIE root *skel- "bend, curve," with derivatives referring to crooked parts of the body (as in Greek skelos "leg, limb; Latin scelus "malice, badness, crime;" Old High German scelah, Old English sceolh "oblique, curved, squinting;" Albanian çalë "lame"). Distinguished from lordosis and kyphosis. Related: Scoliotic.

sconce (n.)

late 14c., sconse, "candlestick or small lantern with a screen and handle," a shortening of Old French esconse "lantern, hiding place" and directly from Medieval Latin sconsa, from Latin absconsa, fem. past participle of abscondere "to hide" (see abscond). Meaning "metal bracket-candlestick fastened to a wall" is recorded from mid-15c.

scone (n.)

"thin, flat soft cake," 1510s, Scottish, probably shortened from Dutch schoon brood "fine bread," from Middle Dutch schoonbroot, from schoon, scone "bright, beautiful" (see sheen) + broot (see bread (n.)).

scooch (v.)

by 1987, informal. Related: Scooched; scooching.

scoop (v.)

mid-14c., scōpen, "to bail out, draw out with a scoop," from scoop (n.) and from Middle Low German schüppen "to draw water," Middle Dutch schoppen, from Proto-Germanic *skuppon (source also of Old Saxon skeppian, Dutch scheppen, Old High German scaphan, German schöpfen "to scoop, ladle out"), from PIE root *skeubh- (source also of Old English sceofl "shovel," Old Saxon skufla; see shove (v.)).

The meaning "remove soft or loose material with a concave instrument" is by 1620s. In the journalistic sense by 1884 (see scoop (n.)). Related: Scooped; scooping.

scoop (n.)

early 14c., scope, "utensil for bailing out," from Middle Dutch schope "bucket for bailing water," from West Germanic *skopo (source also of Middle Low German schope "ladle"), from Proto-Germanic *skop-, from PIE *(s)kep- "to cut, to scrape, to hack" (see scabies). Perhaps to English in part from Old French escope, Old North French escoupe. Compare Dutch schop "a spade," related to German Schüppe "a shovel," also "a spade at cards."

The meaning "hand-shovel with a short handle and a deep, hollow receptacle" is from late 15c. The extended sense of "instrument for gouging out a piece" is by 1706. Meaning "action of scooping" is from 1742; that of "amount in a scoop" is from 1832. The colloquial sense of "a big haul," as if in a scoop-net, is by 1893. The journalistic sense of "the securing and publication of exclusive information in advance of a rival" is by 1874, American English, from earlier commercial slang verbal sense of "appropriate so as to exclude competitors" (c. 1850).

scooper (n.)

1660s, "one who scoops;" 1837 as a tool for scooping, especially one used by wood-engravers; agent noun from scoop (v.).

scoot (v.)

1758, "run, fly, make off, move suddenly or swiftly," perhaps originally nautical slang, of uncertain origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skjota "to shoot," and thus related to shoot (v.). There are similar words in dialect and jargon, but the connection is unclear. OED suspects the word became obsolete in British English early 19c. and was re-introduced from America. From 1805 as "flow or gush out with force" (Scottish). Related: Scooted; scooting. As a noun from 1864, "act or action of scooting."

scooter (n.)

1825, "one who goes quickly," agent noun from scoot (v.). Also in 19c. a type of plow and a syringe (from the Scottish "flow or gush out" sense). As a child's toy consisting of a foot-board, two wheels, and a handle for steering, from 1919 (but the reference indicates earlier use), as short for motor scooter from 1917.

scop (n.)

"poet, minstrel, professional reciter of poetry," Old English scop, cognate with Old High German scoph "poetry, sport, jest," Old Norse skop "railing, mockery" from Proto-Germanic *skub-, *skuf- (source also of Old High German scoph "fiction, sport, jest, derision"), from PIE *skeubh- "to shove" (see shove (v.)).

scopa (n.)

tuft of hairs on a bee's leg, 1802, from Latin scopae (plural) "twigs, shoots; a broom, brush," which is related to scapus "shaft," which perhaps is cognate with Greek skapos "staff," skēptron "staff, scepter" (see scepter).

scoparious (adj.)

"broom-shaped," by 1891, from Latin scopa "broom" (see scopa) + -arious. Late Latin scoparius was "a sweeper." An older English word in the same sense was scopiform (1794).

scope (n.1)

[extent] 1530s, "room to act, free play," also literal (1550s), "room to move in, space;" from Italian scopo "aim, purpose, object; thing aimed at, mark, target," from Latin scopus, from Greek skopos "aim, target, object of attention;" also "watcher, one who watches," which according to Watkins is from a metathesized form of PIE *spek-yo-, suffixed form of root *spek- "to observe." Beekes writes that the the old IE root noun (as in Latin haruspex) from *spek- apparently was replaced in Greek by skopos.

It is attested from 1550s as "that which is aimed at or desired," hence "ultimate aim;" the classical sense of "a mark to aim or shoot at" was in English by 1560s but now is obsolete. Hence "object a speaker or writer has in view" (1530s). The sense of "intellectual range, distance the mind can reach" is recorded from c. 1600. By 1590s as "extent in space." By 1830 as "sphere in which some activity operates." Elizabethan scopious "spacious, wide" did not stick.

scope (n.2)

[instrument for viewing] 1872, shortened from telescope, microscope, etc., in which the element (Latinized) is from Greek skopein "to look" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe"). Earlier used as a shortening of horoscope (c. 1600). Extended to radar screens, etc., by 1945 as a shortening of oscilloscope.

-scope

word-forming element indicating "an instrument for seeing," from Late Latin -scopium, from Greek -skopion, from skopein "to look at, examine" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe").

scope (v.)

1807, "calculate the scope of," from scope (n.1). The slang meaning "to look at, view" is by 1980s, from scope (n.2). Related: Scoped; scoping.

scopeless (adj.)

"having no purpose or aim,; affording no opportunity," 1660s, from scope (n.1) + -less. Related: Scopelessly; scopelessness.

-scopy

word-forming element meaning "viewing, examining, observing," from Modern Latin -scopium, from Greek -skopion, from skopein "to look at, examine" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe").

scopophilia (n.)

"voyeurism, sexual urge or satisfaction chiefly from looking and seeing," 1924 (in a translation of Freud), from a word-forming element made from a Latinized form of Greek -skopia "observation" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe") + -philia. In early use often scoptophilia through a mistake by Freud's translators. The corrected form is by 1937. Related: Scopophiliac; scopophile.

scoptic (adj.)

1660s, "mocking, scoffing," from Latinized form of Greek skōptikos "given to mockery," from skōptein "to mock, jest." Beekes write of it, "An unexplained formation that must be recent in the prehistory of Greek. The root may be that of [skeptomai] 'to look about' or [skaptō] 'to dig', but neither is immediately obvious. Perhaps the verb is related to skōps 'little horned owl'." Related: Scoptical (1610s).

scorbutic (adj.)

"pertaining to or of the nature of scurvy," 1650s, from Modern Latin scorbuticus "pertaining to scurvy," from scorbutus "scurvy," from French scorbut, apparently of Dutch (scheurbuik) or Low German (Scharbock) origin; see scurvy. Scorbute "scurvy" is attested in English from 1590s, from French.

scorch (v.)

"to burn superficially or slightly, but so as to change the color or injure the texture," early 14c., scorchen, perhaps an alteration of scorcnen "make dry, parch; become singed" (late 12c.), itself a word of obscure origin, perhaps from Old Norse skorpna "to be shriveled," which is cognate with Old English scrimman "to shrink, dry up."

The old derivation is from Old French escorchier "to strip off the skin," from Vulgar Latin *excorticare "to flay," from ex- (see ex-) + Latin cortex (genitive corticis) "cork;" but OED and Century Dictionary find this not likely based on the sense difference. That word came into English separately as scorchen "strip the skin from" (mid-15c.).

Scorched earth military strategy is by 1937, said to be a translation of Chinese jiaotu, in reference to tactics to stem the Japanese advance into China. The tactics themselves are much older.

scorch (n.)

"mark made by scorching," 1610s, from scorch (n.).

scorcher (n.)

"very hot day," 1874, agent noun from scorch (v.). It also means or has meant "stinging rebuke or attack in words" (1842), "pretty girl" (1881), "line drive in baseball" (1900).

score (n.)

late Old English scoru "twenty," from Old Norse skor "mark, notch, incision; a rift in rock," also, in Icelandic, "twenty," from Proto-Germanic *skur-, from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut."

The notion probably is of counting large numbers (of a passing flock of sheep, etc.) by making a notch in a stick for each 20. The prehistoric sense of the Germanic word, then, likely was "straight mark like a scratch, line drawn by a sharp instrument." That way of counting, called vigesimalism, is widespread and also exists in France and left its trace in the language: In Old French, "twenty" (vint) or a multiple of it could be used as a base, as in vint et doze ("32"), dous vinz et diz ("50"). Vigesimalism was or is a feature of Welsh, Irish, Gaelic and Breton (as well as non-IE Basque), and it is speculated that the English and the French learned it from the Celts. Compare tally (n.).

By early 13c. it is attested in the sense of "a financial record" (perhaps one kept by tallies), and it is attested from early 14c. as "reckoning, total amount." The specific sense of "a reckoning or account kept by means of tallies" is clearly attested by c. 1400, especially (1590s) "mark made (by chalk, on a taproom door, etc.) to keep count of a customer's drinks."

This was extended by c. 1600 to "amount due, one's debt," and by 1670s to "mark made for purpose of recording a point in a game or match," and thus "aggregate of points made by contestants in certain games and matches" (1742, in whist).

The sporting score-card is by 1877 (in cricket). The newspaper sports section score line is by 1965. Score-keeping in sports is by 1905. From the tavern-keeping sense comes the meaning "amount on an innkeeper's bill" (c. 1600) and thus the figurative verbal expression settle scores (1775; as cut scores, 1610s).

Meaning "printed piece of music" is recorded by 1701, said to be from the practice of connecting related staves by scores (in the "line drawn" sense). Especially "music composed for a film" (1927). In underworld slang, "money obtained in a crime," 1914. Meaning "an act of obtaining narcotic drugs" is by 1951.

The meaning "a cut, notch, scratch or line made by a sharp instrument," without reference to counting, is attested from c. 1400. By c. 1600 as "a line drawn."

score (v.)

late 14c., "to record by means of notches;" c. 1400, "to cut with incisions or notches;" see score (n.). Meanings "to keep record of the scores in a game, etc." and "to succeed in making or adding a point for one's side in a game, etc." both are attested from 1742 (Hoyle on whist).

Meaning "to be scorekeeper, to keep the score in a game or contest" is from 1846. In the musical sense of "write out in score" by 1839. The slang sense "buy a narcotic drug" is by 1935; in reference to men, "achieve intercourse" by 1960. Related: Scored; scoring.