scum

Pronunciation: /skʌm/

The English word “scum” has 11 meanings listed here.

noun

A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water).
A greenish water vegetation (such as algae), usually found floating on the surface of ponds
The topmost liquid layer of a cesspool or septic tank.
Semen.
A reprehensible person or persons.

verb

To remove the layer of scum from (a liquid etc.).
To remove (something) as scum.
To become covered with scum.
To scour (the land, sea, etc.).
To gather together, as scum.
To startscum or savescum.

Etymology

From Middle English scum, scome, skum, skome, scumme, from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch schūme (“foam”), from Old Dutch *scūm, from Frankish *skūm, from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover, conceal”). Cognate with Dutch schuim (“foam”), West Frisian skuum, German Schaum (“foam”), Danish and Swedish skum (“foam”). Compare also French écume…

Keep exploring: in the interactive dictionary every word of a definition is a link. Open “scum” there

More English words

About this dictionary

The English dictionary on Glottosphere has 650,529 entries with a page. Browse the English dictionary.

Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.