scouring

scour ¹  (skour)

v. scoured, scour·ing, scours

v.tr.

1.

a. To clean, polish, or wash by scrubbing vigorously: scour a dirty oven.

b. To remove by scrubbing: scour grease from a pan.

2. To remove dirt or grease from (cloth or fibers) by means of a detergent.

3. To clean (wheat) before the milling process.

4. To clear (an area) by freeing of weeds or other vegetation.

5. To clear (a channel or pipe) by flushing.

v.intr.

1. To scrub something in order to clean or polish it.

2. To have diarrhea. Used of livestock.

n.

1. A scouring action or effect.

2. A place that has been scoured, as by flushing with water.

3. A cleansing agent for wool.

4. scours (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Diarrhea in livestock.

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[Middle English scouren, from Middle Dutch scren, from Old French escurer, from Late Latin excrre, to clean out : Latin ex-, ex-, Late Latin crre, to clean (from Latin, to take care of, from cra, care; see cure).]

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scourer n.

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scour ²  (skour)

v. scoured, scour·ing, scours

v.tr.

1. To search through or over thoroughly: The detective scoured the scene of the crime for clues.

2. To range over (an area) quickly and energetically.

v.intr.

1. To range over or about an area, especially in a search.

2. To move swiftly; scurry.

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[Middle English scouren, to move swiftly, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skr, shower.]

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scourer n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	scouring - moving over territory to search for something; "scouring the entire area revealed nothing" search, hunting, hunt - the activity of looking thoroughly in order to find something or someone
	2.	scouring - the act of cleaning a surface by rubbing it with a brush and soap and water scrubbing, scrub cleaning, cleansing, cleanup - the act of making something clean; "he gave his shoes a good cleaning" mopping, swabbing - cleaning with a mop; "he gave it a good mopping"