noun
scruff
skruhf
noun
1
The back of the neck, especially of an animal.
"The mother cat carried her kitten by the scruff of its neck."
2
Short facial stubble on a man.
"He had a few days' scruff on his jaw."
verb
1
To grab or carry something by the scruff of the neck.
"He scruffed the puppy gently to move it away from the road."
How to Use Scruff
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe back of the neck (especially of an animal), or short facial stubble.
Common pairings
scruff of the neck
a bit of scruff
grab by the scruff
Word Forms
scruffed past tense, scruffs plural, scruffs plural, scruffs singular
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The mother cat carried her kitten by the _____ of its neck.
Etymology
Related to "scurf," originally referring to flaky skin, though the "back of the neck" sense is now the dominant one.