scruff

(skrŭf)

The back of the neck; the nape.

[Alteration of dialectal scuft, scuff.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

scruff

(skrʌf)

the nape of the neck (esp in the phrase by the scruff of the neck)

[C18: variant of scuft, perhaps from Old Norse skoft hair; related to Old High German scuft]

scruff

(skrʌf)

1. informal an untidy scruffy person

2. informal a disreputable person, ruffian

3. another name for scum³

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

scruff

(skrʌf)

n.

the nape or back of the neck.

[1780–90; alter. of dial. scuff, scuft < Dutch schoft horse's withers]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

scruff - the back side of the neck

nape, nucha

cervix, neck - the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body; "he admired her long graceful neck"; "the horse won by a neck"

back end, backside, rear - the side of an object that is opposite its front; "his room was toward the rear of the hotel"

scruff

noun nape, scrag (informal) the scruff of the neck

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

مُؤَخَّرَة العُنْق

zátylek

nakkeskind

Genick

σβέρκος

hnakkadramb

collottola crosta nuca sporco

pakarpa

skaustssprands

nakkeskinn

ense kökü

颈背

scruff

[skrʌf] N

1. by the scruff of the neck → del cogote

2. (= untidy person) → dejado/a m/f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

scruff

[ˈskrʌf] n

(= nape) by the scruff of the neck → par la peau du cou

(= untidy person) → épouvantail m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

scruff

n by the scruff of the neck → am Genick

scruff

n (inf: = scruffy person) (= woman) → Schlampe f (inf); (= man) → abgerissener Typ (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

scruff

[skrʌf] n

a. by the scruff of the neck → per la collottola

b. (fam) (untidy person) → sciattone/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

scruff

(skraf) : the scruff of the neck

the back of the neck by which an animal can be grasped or lifted. She picked up the cat by the scruff of the neck.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

When Cocky, balanced on one leg, the other leg in the air as the foot of it held the scruff of Michael's neck, leaned to Michael's ear and wheedled, Michael could only lay down silkily the bristly hair-waves of his neck, and with silly half-idiotic eyes of bliss agree to whatever was Cocky's will or whimsey so delivered.

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If your lot makes you cry and be wretched, get rid of it and take another; strike out for yourself; don't listen to the shrieks of your relations, to their gibes or their entreaties; don't let your own microscopic set prescribe your goings-out and comings-in; don't be afraid of public opinion in the shape of the neighbour in the next house, when all the world is before you new and shining, and everything is possible, if you will only be energetic and independent and seize opportunity by the scruff of the neck.

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But, when I had paid for about a dozen chickens that he had killed; and had dragged him, growling and kicking, by the scruff of his neck, out of a hundred and fourteen street fights; and had had a dead cat brought round for my inspection by an irate female, who called me a murderer; and had been summoned by the man next door but one for having a ferocious dog at large, that had kept him pinned up in his own tool-shed, afraid to venture his nose outside the door for over two hours on a cold night; and had learned that the gardener, unknown to myself, had won thirty shillings by backing him to kill rats against time, then I began to think that maybe they'd let him remain on earth for a bit longer, after all.

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Mugambi, on his part, clung closely to Tarzan, so that the ape-man could scarce control his laughter at the pitiable condition to which the chief's fear had reduced him; but at length the white took the great cat by the scruff of the neck and, dragging it quite close to the Wagambi, slapped it sharply upon the nose each time that it growled at the stranger.

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If you had been a man, you would have made a good lawyer-- you would have taken juries by the scruff of their necks.

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She saw his wrath, as he held Punch by the scruff of the neck.

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All turned in surprise toward this new speaker, to behold a very well-built young man urging a resisting captive toward them by the scruff of his neck.

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A man's hand reached over a canoe-side and dragged him in by the scruff of the neck, and, although he snarled and struggled to bite his rescuer, he was not so much enraged as was he torn by the wildest solicitude for Skipper.

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The grand secret, in dealing with a woman, is to take her as you take a cat, by the scruff of the neck--"

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He took Buck by the scruff of the neck, and though the dog growled threateningly, dragged him to one side and replaced Sol-leks.

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'And it is another most extraordinary thing,' remarked the Minor Canon in the same tone as before, 'that these philanthropists are so given to seizing their fellow-creatures by the scruff of the neck, and (as one may say) bumping them into the paths of peace.--I beg your pardon, Ma dear, for interrupting.'

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They ha ve got Frank by the scruff of the neck -- he can't wriggle himself free -- and he makes a merit of yielding to sheer necessity."

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