scour1 (skour)

[Early mod. E. also scoure, scower, scowre, skour, skoure; LG. schueren, schoeren = ern = Dan. skure = Sw. skura ), scour, prob. trans. 1. To cleanse by hard rubbing; clean by friction; make clean and bright on the surface by rubbing; brighten. Ther the i... scowred hauberkes and furbi hed swerdes and helmes. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ii. 313. Scouring and for bish ing his head-piece or morion. Holland, tr. of Plutarch, p. 809. 2. To cleanse from grease and dirt by rubbing or scrubbing thoroughly with soap, washing, rinsing, etc.; cleanse by scrubbing and the use of certain chemical appliances: as, to scour blankets, carpets, articles of dre , etc.; to scour woolens. In some lakes the water is so nitrous as, if foul clothes be put into it, it scoureth them of itself. Bacon , Nat. Hist., § 362. Every pre and vat IMG:content-0348.jpg:[blocks in formation] scoug, n. See skug1.