scratch
3
7.7
- noun
- /skrætʃ/
- Specialized
- It's just chicken scratch.
Examples
-
Instead of standing here doing nothing, I better give those chickens some scratch before they start cackling.
Fiction book (1990) -
The farmer spreads scratch on the ground to attract the chickens.
-
Now we've got some chicken scratch
-
I need about five pounds of laying mash, and you better give me about the same amount of scratch.
Fiction book (1990) -
-This is chicken scratch.
-
The boy gives the chicken a few grains of corn and an affectionate scratch behind the ear, and goes back to sleep.
Fiction book (1992) -
When she runs out of scratch, she knows the hens will be hungry.
-
Each morning, he fills the feeder with scratch for the poultry in the yard.
Synonyms
100
1.0
Food for farm animals like cows and chickens
16
4.6
Grain ground into small pieces used for cooking or eating
7
1.3
A mix of seeds given to birds to eat
4
2.8
Food given to chickens, usually dry mash
1
1.0
Food made or mixed for birds, often seeds and grains
1
1.4
Food for birds, usually a mix of seeds and grains
Powder made from grain used for food and animal feed
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
1
3.4
An infection from a cat scratch or bite that makes nearby glands swell and is usually mild
- Specialized
1
7.9
A small tool with a sharp point that marks wood or metal before cutting
- Archaic
A simple light farm tool that loosens the top of the soil without turning it over
How Processed
Surface Forms
Etymology
Scratch for poultry feed comes from the way hens 'scratch' the ground to find grain; the dry mix was named for that behavior. So farmers call the grain mix 'scratch' because it is what chickens scratch for.