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Origin and history of scour

scour(v.1)

c. 1200, scouren, "cleanse by hard rubbing," probably via Middle Dutch scuren, schuren "to polish, to clean," and from Old French escurer, both from Late Latin excurare (Medieval Latin scurare) "clean off," literally "take good care of," from Latin ex "out," or here perhaps intensive (see ex-), + curare "care for, take care of" (see cure (v.)). OED suggests it entered the language as a technical term among Flemish workmen in England. From 1580s as "to wash vigorously." Related: Scoured; scouring. As a noun, 1610s, from the verb.

scour(v.2)

[move quickly in search of something], c. 1300, scouren, a word of uncertain origin, probably from Old Norse skyra "rush in," related to skur "storm, shower, shower of missiles" (see shower (n.)). This was likely influenced by or blended with Old French escorre "to run out," from Latin excurrere (see excursion).

The sense also probably has been influenced by scour (v.1) "cleanse by hard rubbing" and entangled with it in some figurative uses and in phrases such as scour the countryside "clear (a place) of enemies or undesirable persons." Middle English also had it as a noun, as in the expression in good scour "quickly, with all haste" (c. 1300).

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to scour

cure(v.)

late 14c., "to restore to health or a sound state," from Old French curer and directly from Latin curare "take care of," hence, in medical language, "treat medically, cure" (see cure (n.1)). In reference to fish, pork, etc., "prepare for preservation by drying, salting, etc.," attested by 1743. Related: Cured; curing.

Most words for "cure, heal" in European languages originally applied to the person being treated but now can be used with reference to the disease. Relatively few show an ancient connection to words for "physician;" typically they are connected instead to words for "make whole" or "tend to" or even "conjurer." French guérir (with Italian guarir, Old Spanish guarir) is from a Germanic verb stem also found in in Gothic warjan, Old English wearian "ward off, prevent, defend" (see warrant (n.)).

excursion(n.)

1570s, "a deviation in argument," also "a military sally," from Latin excursionem (nominative excursio) "a running forth, sally, excursion, expedition," figuratively "an outset, opening," noun of action from past-participle stem of excurrere "run out, run forth, hasten forward; project, extend," from ex "out" (see ex-) + currere "to run" (from PIE root *kers- "to run"). Sense of "journey" recorded in English by 1660s.

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More to explore

shower
Middle English shour, from Old English scur, scura "a short fall of rain, storm, tempest; fall of missiles or blows; struggle, commotion; breeze," from Proto-Germanic *skuraz (source also of Old Norse skur, Old Saxon and Old Frisian scur "fit of illness;" Old High German scur, Ge
flush
mid-13c., flusshen "move rapidly or violently; rush, dart, spring" (intransitive); late 15c., flush up, transitive, "cause to fly; start or flush (birds)," perhaps imitative of the sound of beating wings. The sense of "spurt, rush out suddenly, flow with force" (1540s, usually of
purge
c. 1300, purgen, "clear of a charge or suspicion," from Anglo-French purger, Old French purgier "wash, clean; refine, purify" morally or physically (12c., Modern French purger) and directly from Latin purgare "cleanse, make clean; purify," especially in reference to the body, "fr
swerve
turn away or aside;" c. 1300, "to turn aside, deviate from a straight course;" in form from Old English sweorfan "to rub, scour...The Old English word is from Proto-Germanic *swerb- (cf Old Norse sverfa "to scour, file," Old Saxon swebran "to wipe off...
furbish
"to rub or scour to brightness;" figuratively, "to clear from taint or stain, renew the glory or brightness of; renovate,...
holystone
soft sandstone used to scrub decks of sailing ships, 1777, despite the spelling, probably so called perhaps because it is full of holes, and thus from hole (n.). The other theory is that it was used for cleaning decks on Sundays. As a verb, by 1828. Six days shalt thou labor as
search
c. 1300, serchen, "go through and examine carefully and in detail" (transitive), from Old French cerchier "to search" (12c., Modern French chercher), from Latin circare "go about, wander, traverse," in Late Latin "to wander hither and thither, go round, explore," from circus "cir
chaser
c. 1300, "horse trained for chasing," agent noun from chase (v.), probably in some cases from Old French chaceor "huntsman, hunter." The meaning "water or mild beverage taken after a strong drink" is by 1894, U.S. colloquial. French had chasse (from chasser "to chase") "a drink o
rub
early 14c., rubben, transitive and intransitive, "apply friction on a surface; massage (the body or a part of it)," a word of uncertain origin, perhaps related to East Frisian rubben "to scratch, rub," and Low German rubbeling "rough, uneven," or similar words in Scandinavian (co
bur
"prickly seed vessel of some plants," c. 1300, burre, from a Scandinavian source (compare Danish borre, Swedish hard-borre, Old Norse burst "bristle"), from PIE *bhars- (see bristle (n.)). It was transferred 1610s to "rough edge on metal," which might be the source of the sense "

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