Scour (Verb)
Meaning 1
Rub hard or scrub; "scour the counter tops".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- Scour the burnt sauce off the bottom of the pot using steel wool.
- She had to scour the dirty BBQ grill to remove the months of grime buildup.
- Use a gentle cleanser to scour the tub and avoid damaging its surface.
- The instructions said to scour the burnt frying pan with baking soda and warm water.
- Scour the sink basins daily to keep soap scum from building up.
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Meaning 2
Rinse, clean, or empty with a liquid; "flush the wound with antibiotics"; "purge the old gas tank".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The nurse used saline solution to scour the patient's wound and remove any infected tissue.
- She decided to scour the rusty container by pouring a mixture of baking soda and water into it.
- The mechanic needed to scour the old engine block with a solvent before repainting it.
- To clean the drain, pour one cup of baking soda down the pipe and then scour it with hot water.
- The chemical engineer helped design a process to scour the oil tank by circulating hot water through the pipes.
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Meaning 3
Clean with hard rubbing; "She scrubbed his back".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- She began to scour the burnt pan with steel wool to remove the stubborn food residue.
- The hotel staff had to scour the bathroom floor to remove the dirt and stains left by the previous guests.
- The housewife spent hours scouring the kitchen counters with bleach and soap to disinfect them.
- He used a brillo pad to scour away the rust on the old bike.
- The mother had to scour the stubborn grass stain on her child's pants for a long time to remove it.
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Meaning 4
Examine minutely; "The police scoured the country for the fugitive".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The detectives scoured the crime scene for any physical evidence that could help identify the culprit.
- Researchers scoured ancient texts to find clues about the lost city's location.
- The police scoured the neighborhood, questioning every witness and gathering as much information as possible about the suspect.
- Experts scoured the damaged area to identify the source of the leak that caused the massive flood.
- The archaeologists scoured the excavation site, carefully brushing away dirt and debris to reveal a well-preserved fossil.