scratch
21
3.3
- noun
- /skrætʃ/
- 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
∞
1.0
The time or place when something begins
12
2.0
A marked line where people begin a race or game
1
4.8
A line that shows where people start a race
A post that marks where a race begins, often for horses
Antonyms
Idioms
A saying that some people who call themselves liberal may show authoritarian views when challenged
Compounds
- Specialized
1
3.5
A simple test that finds allergies by putting small drops on tiny cuts in the skin
- Specialized
An infection from a cat scratch or bite that makes nearby glands swell and is usually mild
- Archaic
A simple light farm tool that loosens the top of the soil without turning it over
Surface Forms
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.