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scratch

scratch

21 3.3
The starting line marked on the ground for a race or game
  • noun
  • /skrætʃ/
translation icon : línea de salida
  • The athletes lined up at the scratch before the race began, ready to compete.

Examples

  • Gail used to love it when I cooked Bolognese sauce from scratch.

  • At the starting signal, the runners took off from the scratch marked on the track.

  • "We paid $850,000 for a facility that today would probably cost $3 million to build from scratch," says Hayes.

    Academic text (1996)
  • We start from scratch.

  • Let's start from scratch.

  • The referee drew a scratch on the ground to indicate where the game was to start.

Synonyms

start
vsscratch
1.0

The time or place when something begins

refers to the physical ground mark rather than a time or signal
starting line
vsscratch
12 2.0

A marked line where people begin a race or game

is the same concept but named in a different short form
scratch line
vsscratch
1 4.8

A line that shows where people start a race

is the shorter single-word form used for the same marked place
starting post
vsscratch
  • Texting
4.1

A post that marks where a race begins, often for horses

marks the race beginning as a ground marking rather than with an upright marker

Antonyms

79 1.4

The line at the end of a race that people must cross to finish

Idioms

98 2.8

To make something using nothing already made

11 2.7

Not hurt or damaged after a dangerous event

Touch or rub your head to show you do not understand something

Good enough to meet a required standard

Leave a dangerous situation without getting hurt

To look below the surface to find the real reasons

To help when needed, especially in a difficult situation

A saying that some people who call themselves liberal may show authoritarian views when challenged

4.3

Satisfy a strong wish you cannot ignore

To do something that solves a problem you have

Compounds

chicken scratch
  • Informal
3 8.4

Messy handwriting that is hard to read

1 1.0

A small cut on the skin from a cat's claws

scratch test
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A simple test that finds allergies by putting small drops on tiny cuts in the skin

1 4.8

A line that shows where people start a race

1 2.3

A small pad of blank paper for quick notes and sketches

1 2.2

A piece of paper used for quick notes or rough calculations

cat scratch disease
  • Specialized
3.4

An infection from a cat scratch or bite that makes nearby glands swell and is usually mild

scratch awl
  • Specialized
7.9

A small tool with a sharp point that marks wood or metal before cutting

scratch race
  • Specialized
5.5

A race where all competitors start together with no handicaps

scratch sheet
  • Jargon
9.9

A paper that lists horses, race results and betting odds

scratch plough
  • Archaic
8.8

A simple light farm tool that loosens the top of the soil without turning it over

Surface Forms

scratch singular
scratches plural

Etymology

Scratch used to mean a line scratched in the ground to show where to begin a race or game, so people would stand behind the 'scratch' mark. That's why scratch can mean the starting point in a race or game.