# score
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English score, skore, schore, from Old English scoru (“notch; tally; score”), from Old Norse skor, from Proto-Germanic *skurō (“incision; tear; rift”), which is related to *skeraną (“to cut”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“cut”). Cognate with Icelandic skora, Swedish skåra, Danish skår. Related to shear.
For the sense “twenty”: The mark on a tally made by drovers for every twenty beasts passing through a tollgate.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) enPR: skôr, IPA: /skɔː/
* (General American) enPR: skôrʹ, IPA: /skoɹ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) enPR: skōrʹ, IPA: /sko(ː)ɹ/
* (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA: /skoə/
* Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)

### Noun

score (plural scores)
* The total number of goals, points, runs, etc. earned by a participant in a game.
    The player with the highest score is the winner.
* The number of points accrued by each of the participants in a game, expressed as a ratio or a series of numbers.
    The score is 8-1 even though it's not even half-time!
* The performance of an individual or group on an examination or test, expressed by a number, letter, or other symbol; a grade.
    The test scores for this class were high.
* Twenty (20).
    Some words have scores of meanings.
** 1863 November 19, Abraham Lincoln, Dedicatory Remarks (Gettysburg Address)‎, near Soldiers' National Cemetery, →LCCN, Bliss copy, page 1:Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
** 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 152:I went on trying for fish along the western bank down the river, but only small trout rose at my flies, and a score was the total catch.
** A distance of twenty yards, in ancient archery and gunnery.
*** 1612, Michael Drayton, chapter 26, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for M[athew] Lownes; I[ohn] Browne; I[ohn] Helme; I[ohn] Busbie, →OCLC:At Markes full fortie score they vs'd to Prick and Roue.
** A weight of twenty pounds.
** (British, slang) Twenty pounds sterling.
*** 2012 September 9, “Deepest Shame (New Machine Remix)”, performed by w:Plan B (musician),Chip,Devlin:DEVLIN:You know the apple and core. Head might cost you a score, or more if you want a meat show on all fours.
* (often in the plural) A great deal; many, several.
* (gambling) An amount of money won in gambling; winnings.
** 2013, Arnold Snyder, Big Book of Blackjack:Use a few “introductory plays” to become known to a casino before you go for a big score.
* (music) The written form of a musical composition showing all instrumental and vocal parts.
* (music) The music of a movie or play.
** 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
* A subject.
** 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 245e:Well, although we haven't discussed the views of all those who make precise reckonings of being and not [being], we've done enough on that score.
* An account; a reason; a motive; a sake; a behalf.
** 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC:But left the trade, as many more / Have lately done on the same score.
** 1665 (first performance), John Dryden, The Indian Emperour, or, The Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman […], published 1667, →OCLC, Act V, scene ii, page 65:You act your kindneſs on Cydaria’s ſcore.
** 1900, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 3, page 306:The local village priest is expected to pass through the Holi bonfire, which, in the opinion of the faithful, cannot burn him. Indeed he holds his land rent-free simply on the score of his being fire-proof.
* A notch or incision; especially, one that is made as a tally mark; hence, a mark, or line, made for the purpose of account.
** 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]:Whereas, before, our forefathers had no other books but the score and the tally, thou hast caused printing to be used.
* An account or reckoning; account of dues; bill; debt.
** c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene viii]:He parted well, and paid his score.
* (US, slang, crime) A criminal act, especially:
** A robbery.
    Let's pull a score!
*** 2022, Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, The Batman:Batman: Dangerous crowd you're stealing from. Catwoman: Jesus. Is this how you get your kicks, hon? Sneaking up on girls in the dark? Batman: Is that why you work in the club? It was all just a score?
** A bribe paid to a police officer.
** An illegal sale, especially of drugs.
    He made a big score.
** A prostitute's client.
* (originally US, vulgar, slang) A sexual conquest.
** 1976, William C. Thomas, Cat Murkil and the Silks, spoken by Punch:Ah, who gives a shit? The only score I'm interested in is the one I might make if some foxy chicks start pilin' outta there.
* (UK, regional) In the Lowestoft area, a narrow pathway running down a cliff to the beach.
** 1975, John Seymour, The Companion Guide to the Coast of North-east England, page 206:Above the harbour, steeply up the hill, run The Bolts, narrow stepped passages, equivalent of The Scores of Lowestoft and The Rows of Great Yarmouth.

#### Usage notes

* As a quantity, a score is counted as any other unit: ten score, twelve score, fourteen score, etc. (or tenscore, twelvescore). There is no word for 20$^2$; rather, twenty score is used, and twice that forty score.

#### Synonyms

* (prostitute's client): see Thesaurus:prostitute's client

#### Derived terms

* Apgar score
* Baux score
* box score
* buzz score
* by the score
* credit score
* cricket score
* even the score
* film score
* fourscore
* four score and seven years ago
* four score and ten
* four score seven years ago
* full score
* game score
* GERP score
* Gleason score
* go off at score
* high score
* high-score table
* high score table
* hi-score
* keep score
* know the score
* major score
* no score
* no-score draw
* on that score
* on this score
* on what score
* outscore
* overscore
* pain score
* pay off old scores
* Q score
* quit scores
* run up the score
* score attack
* scorecard
* score-draw
* score draw
* scoreless
* scores
* score-settling
* score-sheet
* score sheet
* score string
* settle a score
* settle the score
* threescore
* three score and fifth
* three score and ten
* underscore
* Wilson score interval
* z-score
* Z score

#### Translations
### Verb

score (third-person singular simple present scores, present participle scoring, simple past and past participle scored)
* (transitive) To cut a notch or a groove in a surface.
** 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:A very neat old woman, still in her good outdoor coat and best beehive hat, was sitting at a polished mahogany table on whose surface there were several scored scratches so deep that a triangular piece of the veneer had come cleanly away, […].
    The baker scored the cake so that the servers would know where to slice it.
* (intransitive) To record the tally of points for a game, a match, or an examination.
* (ambitransitive) To obtain something desired.
** 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 50”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:"Of course it would be hypocritical for me to pretend that I regret what Abraham did. After all, I've scored by it."
** To earn points in a game.
    It is unusual for a team to score a hundred goals in one game.
    Pelé scores again!
*** 2011 September 29, Jon Smith, “Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers”, in BBC Sport‎:And White Hart Lane was stunned when Rovers scored just five minutes after the restart in front of their away following.
** To achieve academic credit on a test, quiz, homework, assignment, or course.
*** 2004, Diane McGuinness, Early reading instruction: what science really tells us about how to teach reading:At the end of first grade, the children scored 80 percent correct on this test, a value that remained unchanged through third grade.
*** 1996 March 5, Mike Judge, “Substitute”, in Beavis and Butthead, season 6, episode 18, Mr. Van Driessen (actor):No, Butthead, that's my point. You didn't score. You got a zero.
** (gambling) To win money by gambling.
*** 2005, Shannon Nash, For the Love of Money, page 215:[…] he scored big by hitting the jack pot at the Bellagio (he won $7,000). The next day, he won $15,000 on the nickel machines at the Palm Casino!
** (slang) To acquire or gain.
*** 1971, Jagger–Richards, Marianne Faithfull, “Sister Morphine”, in Sticky Fingers, performed by The Rolling Stones:What am I doing in this place? / Why does the doctor have no face? / Oh, I can't crawl across the floor / Ah, can't you see, Sister Morphine, I'm trying to score
*** 1975, Andy Mackay, Bryan Ferry, “Love Is the Drug”, performed by Roxy Music:I jump up, bubble up, what's in store? / Love is the drug and I need to score
    I scored some drugs last night.
    Did you score tickets for the concert?
** (US, crime, slang, of a police officer) To extract a bribe.
** (vulgar, slang) To obtain a sexual favor.
    Chris finally scored with Pat last week.
*** 1982, “Prowlin'”, in Domenic Bugatti, Frank Muskeer, Christopher Cerf (lyrics), Grease 2:Gotta find a chick who'll give you more / Well, there's a spot that I've discovered / Where a guy's guaranteed to score
* (transitive) To rate; to evaluate the quality of.
    Critics scored the game 92%.
** 2007, Cross-Cultural Urban Design: Global or Local Practice?, page 197:[…] this was the case for most students, who scored it highly (medians of 4 with many scores of 5) […]
* (transitive, music, film) To provide (a film, etc.) with a musical score.
** 1974, New York Magazine, volume 7, number 45, page 98:Godfather II is nothing like ready. It is not yet scored, and thus not mixed. There remain additional shooting, looping, editing.
** 2023 August 10, Adrian Horton, “Robbie Robertson, member of the Band, dies at age 80”, in The Guardian, UK:Robertson scored several of Scorsese’s films, including Raging Bull, Casino, The Wolf of Wall Street and The Irishman.
* (horse racing, ambitransitive) To return (a horse and rider) to the starting-point repeatedly, until a fair start is achieved.
** 1878, John H. Wallace, Wallace's Monthly (volume 4, page 18)
    […] and the scoring for a start by these "inferior" horses would kill a thoroughbred. As an instance, in the 2:27 race at Cleveland, last summer, twelve horses scored seventeen times before they got a fair start.

#### Conjugation

$^†$ Archaic or obsolete.

#### Synonyms

* (to cut a groove in a surface): groove, notch
* (to record the score): keep, score, tally
* (to earn points in a game):
* (to achieve a score in a test):
* (to acquire or gain): come by, earn, obtain; see also Thesaurus:receive
* (to extract a bribe): shake down
* (to obtain a sexual favor): pull
* (to provide with a musical score): soundtrack

#### Derived terms

* scorable
* score off, score-off
* score on oneself
* score out
* score points
* score through
* unscored

#### Descendants

* →⇒ Irish: scóráil

#### Translations
### Interjection

score
* (US, slang) An acknowledgement of success.

### See also

* grade

### References

* Tom Dalzell, The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English, 2008, page 846
* “score n.$^3$”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present

### Anagrams

* Corse, Crose, ROCEs, Secor, Sorce, ceros, cores, corse, creos, ocres

## Danish
### Etymology

Borrowed from English score.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /skoːrə/, [ˈsɡ̊oːɐ]

### Noun

score c (singular definite scoren, plural indefinite scorer)
* A score, a number of points earned.

#### Declension
### Verb

score
* score a goal/point
* land (to acquire; to secure)
* (slang) steal
* persuade (someone) to have sex with oneself [from 1959]

#### Conjugation

activepassive
present
scorer
scores
past
scorede
scoredes
infinitive
score
scores
imperative
scor
participle
present
scorende
past
scoret (auxiliary verb have)
gerund

#### Derived terms

* målscorer
* scorekort
* scorereplik
* scoring
* topscorer

## Dutch
### Etymology

Borrowed from English score.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈskoː.rə/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: sco‧re

### Noun

score m (plural scores, diminutive scoretje n)
* score (number of points earned)

#### Derived terms

* scorebord

#### Related terms

* scoren

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from English score.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /skɔʁ/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

score m (plural scores)
* score (in a sport, game)

#### Derived terms

* scorer

#### Descendants

* → Romanian: scor n

### Further reading

* “score”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

### Anagrams

* corse, Corse
* ocres

## Middle English
### Alternative forms

* scoore, skore

### Etymology

Inherited from Old English scoru, from Old Norse skor, from Proto-Germanic *skurō.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈskɔːr(ə)/

### Noun

score (plural scores)
* score

#### Descendants

* English: score
* Yola: score

#### References

* “scōr(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Alternative forms

* skår (of noun)
* skåre (of verb)

### Etymology

Via English score, from Old Norse skor. Related to Old Norse skera (modern Norwegian Bokmål skjære).

### Noun

score m (definite singular scoren, indefinite plural scorer, definite plural scorene)
* a score

### Verb

score (imperative scor, present tense scorer, passive scores, simple past and past participle scora or scoret, present participle scorende)
* to score (earn points in a game)

#### Derived terms

* scorer
* scoring
* scoringsposisjon
* scoringssjanse

### References

* “score” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
* “score” in The Ordnett Dictionary

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Alternative forms

* skår (of noun)
* skåre, skåra (of verb)
* scora (of verb)

### Etymology

Borrowed from English score. Doublet of skòr.

### Noun

score m (definite singular scoren, indefinite plural scorar, definite plural scorane)
* a score

### Verb

score (present tense scorar, past tense scora, past participle scora, passive infinitive scorast, present participle scorande, imperative score/scor)
* to score (earn points in a game)

### References

* “score” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Spanish
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English score.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /esˈkoɾ/ [esˈkoɾ]
* Rhymes: -oɾ

### Noun

score m (plural scores)
* (sports) score

#### Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

## Yola
### Etymology

From Middle English score, from Old English scoru.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /skɔːr/

### Noun

score
* score
** 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1, page 94:An aar was a hundereth lauckeen vowre score.And there was a hundred, lacking four score;
** 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 94:Aar was Parick o Dearmoth, an dhen score besidh,There was Patrick o Deormod, and ten score beside,
** 1867, “DR. RUSSELL ON THE INHABITANTS AND DIALECT OF THE BARONY OF FORTH”, in APPENDIX, page 130:Th'ar was a hunnert, lackin a score,[There was a hundred, lacking a score,]

### References

* Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 94