scutch

1 of 2

verb

scutched; scutching; scutches

transitive verb

: to separate the woody fiber from (flax or hemp) by beating

scutch

2 of 2

noun

1
2
: a bricklayer's hammer for cutting, trimming, and dressing bricks

Examples of scutch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
There was a riot of nettles, ferns, ryegrass, scutch, goosefoot, wild oat, green amaranth, chicory, sorrel, cockspur, and the like, otherwise known as weeds by farmers throughout the world. . . . Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Verb

obsolete French escoucher, from Middle French escochier, from Vulgar Latin *excuticare to beat out, from Latin excutere, from ex- + quatere to shake, strike

First Known Use

Verb

1733, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scutch was in 1733

Dictionary Entries Near scutch

Cite this Entry

“Scutch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scutch. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

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