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Scurvy

/ˈskɜːvi/ · adjective

Meaning

Affected or covered with scurf (“skin disease causing flakes of skin to fall off”) or scabs; scurfy, scabby; also, of or relating to a skin disease causing scurf or to scurvy (noun sense 1)..

Definitions by Sense

  1. Affected or covered with scurf (“skin disease causing flakes of skin to fall off”) or scabs; scurfy, scabby; also, of or relating to a skin disease causing scurf or to scurvy (noun sense 1).
  2. Of growths on plants: resembling scurf; scurfy.
  3. Of a person or thing: disgustingly mean; contemptible, despicable, low.
  4. Of the way someone is treated: poor, shabby.
  5. (uncountable, pathology) A disease caused by insufficient intake of vitamin C, leading to the formation of livid spots on the skin, spongy gums, loosening of the teeth, and bleeding into the skin and from almost all mucous membranes; (countable, obsolete) an occurrence of this disease.
  6. (countable, figurative, derogatory) A contemptible or despicable person.
  7. (uncountable, by extension, veterinary medicine, obsolete) A cattle disease, perhaps affecting the skin.

Example Sentences

Some wenches come vnlased, / Some hyswyues come vnbrased, / Wyth theyr naked pappes, / That flappes and flappes; / […] / A sorte of foule drabbes / All scuruy with scabbes: […]
The bran of VVheate boiled in ſharpe vineger, and rubbed vpon them that be ſcuruie and mangie, easeth the partie very much.
This medicine is vvell approued to cure all ſorts of Paine, Scratches, Moully heeles, or any other skiruy ſcalls vvhatſoeuer, that may breede in a horſes leg or heeles, […]
Whoſoeuer he be of thy ſeed in their generations, that hath any blemiſh, let him not approche to offer the bread of his God: […] [he] that hath a blemiſh in his eye, or be ſcuruy, or ſcabbed, […]
a scurvy knave    a scurvy trick
Iſt not a ſcuruie ieſt, that a man ſhould ieſt himſelfe to death.
The Moore's abus'd by ſome outragious knaue: / Some baſe notorious knaue, some ſcuruy fellovv, […]
VVhat a py'd Ninnie's this? Thou ſcuruy patch: / I do beſeech thy Greatneſſe giue him blovves, […]

Synonyms for scurvy

roynishscabrousreefscabbyscabratescabridscaldscalledscurvymiserablepaltryshabbyabjectfilthybasebeggarlyblameworthycarrioncheapchoicalcontemptiblecringingdamnablededecorousdegradeddeplorablederidablederisibledespicabledespisable

Antonyms for scurvy

Related Words

lowscummymiserableabjectlow-downcontemptiblescorbutusbarlow's diseasebutton scurvymoeller's diseasemöller-barlow diseasecheadle's diseasecheadle-möller-barlow syndromesicklemiagreen sicknesssanguivoryscleredemascleromalacialichen sclerosuslime disease

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does scurvy mean?

Scurvy means Affected or covered with scurf (“skin disease causing flakes of skin to fall off”) or scabs; scurfy, scabby; also, of or relating to a skin disease causing scurf or to scurvy (noun sense 1)..

What is a synonym for scurvy?

Common synonyms include roynish, scabrous, reef, scabby.

What is the opposite of scurvy?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use scurvy in a sentence?

Some wenches come vnlased, / Some hyswyues come vnbrased, / Wyth theyr naked pappes, / That flappes and flappes; / […] / A sorte of foule drabbes / All scuruy with scabbes: […]

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.