scramble
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈskɹæmbl̩/
rhymes: -æmbəl
Forms: form: scrambles
form: scrambling
form: scrambled
form: scrambled
Etymology: Origin uncertain. Perhaps from earlier dialectal scramble, scrammel (“to collect or rake together with the hands”), from scramb (“to pull or scrape together with the hands”) + -le (frequentative suffix) (compare Dutch schrammen (“to graze, brush, scratch”)); or alternatively from a nasalised form of scrabble (“to scrape or scratch quickly”).
Senses: examples: text: As half-time approached Fabregas had another chance to give Barcelona the lead. He collected an incisive Messi pass and this time beat Cech, who required Cole to scramble back and clear the ball off the line.
ref: 2012 April 18, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 1 – 0 Barcelona”, in BBC Sport:
text: When I saw the coffin I knew that I was respited, for, as I judged, there was space between it and the wall behind enough to contain my little carcass; and in a second I had put out the candle, scrambled up the shelves, half-stunned my senses with dashing my head against the roof, and squeezed my body betwixt wall and coffin.
ref: [1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:
glosses: To move hurriedly to a location, especially by using all limbs against a surface.
glosses: To proceed to a location or an objective in a disorderly manner.
examples: text: I scrambled some eggs with spinach and cheese.
qualifier: usually including egg
glosses: To thoroughly combine and cook as a loose mass.
raw_tags: of food ingredients
glosses: To process telecommunication signals to make them unintelligible to an unauthorized listener.
examples: text: But on April 13 it 'scrambled' a rake of Mk 2s and dual-braked 'Black 5' 45212 to start its lucrative summer money-spinner two days later.
ref: 2024 May 1, “Network News: West Coast Railways runs 'Jacobite' with Mk 1 and Mk 2 combination”, in RAIL, number 1008, page 9:
topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: To quickly deploy (vehicles, usually aircraft) to a destination in response to an alert, usually to intercept an attacking enemy.
examples: text: As the planes scrambled, four of his veterans went up: Tom Lanphier, Rex Barber, Joe Moore and Jim McLanahan. They had waited with other Lightnings at 30,000 feet and dived on a formation of eleven Zeroes far below, working in pairs.
ref: 1969, Burke Davis, Get Yamamoto, page 115:
topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: To be quickly deployed in this manner.
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To partake in motocross.
glosses: To ascend rocky terrain as a leisure activity.
examples: text: They say we are a scatter'd nation: / I cannot tell, but we have scrambled up / More wealth by far than those that brag of faith.
ref: c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
glosses: To gather or collect by scrambling.
examples: text: Of other care they little reck'ning make, / Then how to ſcramble at the ſhearers feaſt,
ref: 1637, John Milton, “Lycidas”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, page 62:
glosses: To struggle eagerly with others for something thrown upon the ground; to go down upon all fours to seize something; to catch rudely at what is desired.
examples: text: […] Father Boniface standing on the verandah of the Monastery on a Sunday afternoon “scrambling” lollies to the kids […]
ref: 1952, Walkabout, volume 18, page 40:
glosses: To throw something down for others to compete for in this manner.
topics: Rubik's-Cube
games
glosses: To permute parts of a twisty puzzle (especially, Rubik's Cube) until it is ready to be solved from scratch.
Derived terms: descrambler
scramblase
scramble band
scramble competition
scramble crossing
scrambled eggs
scramble dinner
scramble net
scrambler
scramble up
scramblevision
scrambling
scrambly
scromlette
unscrambler