scour

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch schuren, from Old French escurer, from Late Latin excurare to clean off, from Latin, to take good care of, from ex- + curare to care for, from cura care Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to rub hard especially with a rough material for cleansing b. to remove by rubbing hard and washing 2. archaic to clear (a region) of enemies or outlaws 3. to clean by purging ; purge 4. to remove dirt and debris from (as a pipe or ditch) 5. to free from foreign matter or impurities by or as if by washing <

scour wool

> 6. to clear, dig, or remove by or as if by a powerful current of water intransitive verb 1. to perform a process of scouring 2. to suffer from diarrhea or dysentery 3. to become clean and bright by rubbing • scourer noun II. noun Date: 1681 1. a place scoured by running water 2. scouring action (as of a glacier) 3. diarrhea, dysentery — usually used in plural but sing. or plural in constr. 4. scouring 1; also damage done by scouring action III. verb Etymology: Middle English scuren, skouren, probably from scour, noun, (in phrase god scour quickly), perhaps from Old Norse skūr shower; akin to Old English scūr shower — more at shower Date: 13th century intransitive verb to move about quickly especially in search transitive verb to go through or range over in or as if in a search