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Glite Dictionary
scratch race

scratch race

5.5
A race where all competitors start together with no handicaps
  • noun
  • /skrætʃ reɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : carrera sin ventajas
  • In a scratch race, no one receives a head start or a handicap.

Examples

  • The cycling championship featured a scratch race where every rider started side by side.

  • She won her first scratch race last weekend, beating more experienced competitors.

  • The athletes lined up for the scratch race.

  • I love watching the scratch races during the Olympics.

  • In a scratch race, no one receives a head start or a handicap.

  • The cycling championship featured a scratch race where every rider started side by side.

  • She won her first scratch race last weekend, beating more experienced competitors.

Synonyms

race
vsscratch race
∞ 1.0

A contest to see who is fastest or finishes first

is a specific competition where everyone starts equally with no handicaps

Antonyms

handicap
22 4.4

An extra advantage given to a player to make a match fair

How Equal

scratch race
  • Specialized
5.5
handicap bet
  • Jargon
6.8

Surface Forms

scratch race singular
scratch races plural

Morphology

scratch + race

The meaning is directly compositional: 'scratch' (the marked starting point / no handicap) combined with 'race' yields a race in which all competitors start from the same point with no handicaps. This noun–noun composition follows standard English compounding patterns and would be recoverable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings.

Etymology

The term scratch race may come from the old image of a scratched line on the ground called scratch, where all racers began together. Imagine everyone standing behind that single scratch and starting at the same time. So a scratch race means a race where everyone starts from the same point with 'no handicaps'.