Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The back of the neck; the nape.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Same as
shruff . - noun The nape of the neck; the nape; technically, the nucha or cervix.
- In golf, to raze the grass slightly in striking.
- noun Same as
scurf .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun obsolete Scurf.
- noun The nape of the neck; the loose outside skin, as of the back of the neck.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Someone with an
untidy appearance - noun obsolete
crust - noun The loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals.
- noun rare The back of the neck,
nape ; also scruff of the neck. - verb To lift or carry by the scruff.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the back side of the neck
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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 At times her shading makes it look like Mercer has a bit of chin scruff in one panel, and then looks clean shaven in the other.
Review: You Have Killed Me | Major Spoilers - Comic Book Reviews and News 2009
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And then sticking a card between my stock and my coat-collar, in what is called the scruff of my neck, the disgusting brute gave me another blow behind my back, and left the coffee-room with his friends.
The Fatal Boots 2006
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I wanted very much to remove him from that car by what Lute would call the scruff of the neck.
The Rise of Roscoe Paine Joseph Crosby Lincoln 1907
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-- And then sticking a card between my stock and my coat-collar, in what is called the scruff of my neck, the disgusting brute gave me another blow behind my back, and left the coffee-room with his friends.
The Fatal Boots William Makepeace Thackeray 1837
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The cub became calmer when he was held by the scruff, which is the way mom Bai Yun carries him.
Fore, right! 2009
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Her grin clearly frightened the leopard, as well as a pinch she gave him in the 'scruff' of the neck with one of her hands, while with the other she caught hold of his tail and made him yell.
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RSPCA spokeswoman Kylie Hughes said while its not necessarily cruel to "scruff" a cat, ideally Kardashian should have been supporting its bodyweight two-handed.
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Etheridge allegedly grabbed the man by the wrist and by the "scruff" of the neck, pulling him into "an awkward clinch."
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-- he had enough "scruff" in the last episode of Season 3 to do any bad boy proud!!!!
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Ilan ordered the dogs away from his father, who he grabbed by the scruff of the neck.
Slice Of Cherry Dia Reeves 2011
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