Scour

English

Verb

Scour (third-person singular simple present Scours, present participle Scouring, simple past and past participle Scoured)

1. To clean, polish, or wash something by scrubbing it vigorously.

   He scoured the burner pans, to remove the burnt spills.

2. To search an area thoroughly.

   They scoured the scene of the crime for clues.

3. (intransitive, veterinary medicine) Of livestock, to suffer from diarrhea.

   If a lamb is scouring, do not delay treatment.

4. To move swiftly.

Derived terms

• scourer noun
• scours noun plural

Thesaurus

ablate, abrade, abrase, baptize, bark, bath, bathe, beat, beat the bushes, beeline, bite, blow, blow out, bolt, buff, bullet, burnish, career, chafe, clean, clean out, cleanse, clear, clear away, clear off, clear out, clear the decks, comb, corrode, course, cover, dart, dash, defecate, deplete, do, douche, drain, eat, eat away, eliminate, empty, empty out, erase, erode, evacuate, exhaust, fan, ferret out, file, find, finish, fleet, fling, flit, flush, flush out, fly, forage, fray, frazzle, fret, furbish, gall, gargle, glance, glaze, gloss, gnaw, gnaw away, go over, grate, graze, grind, grub, haste, hasten, hie, highball, holystone, hump, hump it, hurry, hurtle, irrigate, lather, launder, lave, look, look all over, look everywhere, look for, luster, make haste, measure, mop, mop up, overpass, pass over, pass through, patrol, perambulate, peregrinate, pererrate, ply, polish, post, purge, race, rake, range, range over, ransack, rasp, raze, reconnoiter, remove, rifle, rinse, rinse out, ritually immerse, rocket, rout, rub, rub away, rub off, rub out, rummage, rush, scamper, scoot, scour out, scour the country, scout, scramble, scrape, scrub, scrub up, scud, scuff, scurry, scuttle, search, search high heaven, seek, shake, shake down, shampoo, shine, shoot, shower, skedaddle, skin, sleek, slick, slick down, sluice, sluice out, smoke, soap, speed, sponge, step on it, swab, sweep, sweep out, syringe, tear, toivel, toss, track, transit, travel over, travel through, traverse, tub, turn inside out, turn upside down, unclog, unfoul, varnish, vent, void, voyage, wash, wash out, wash up, wax, wear, wear away

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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  Rhymes: -aʊə(r)

Translations

to clean, polish, or wash something by scrubbing it vigorously

Croatian: ribati (hr) Hungarian: sikál (hu), súrol (hu)

Norwegian: skrubbe (no), skure (no)

to search an area thoroughly

Norwegian: finkjemme (no)

Slovene: prečesati (sl)

of livestock, to suffer from diarrhea

Simplified Chinese: 腹泻

to move swiftly