scar

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A permanent mark left on the skin after a wound has healed.

   He still has a scar on his knee from the accident.

2. 2
   noun

   A lasting emotional effect caused by a painful experience.

   The war left deep scars on everyone who survived it.

3. 3
   verb

   To leave a permanent mark on the skin.

   The burn scarred her arm for life.

4. 4
   verb

   To affect someone deeply and painfully for a long time.

   Seeing the crash scarred him for life.

From Middle English scar, scarre, a conflation of Old French escare (“scab”) (from Late Latin eschara, from Ancient Greek ἐσχάρα (eskhára, “scab left from a burn”), and thus a doublet of eschar) and Middle English skar (“incision, cut, fissure”) (from Old Norse skarð (“notch, chink, gap”), from Proto-Germanic *skardaz (“gap, cut, fragment”)). Akin to Old Norse skor (“notch, score”), Old English sċeard (“gap, cut, notch”). More at shard. Displaced native Old English dolg, dolgswæþ, and wundswaþu (“scar”). Not related to scarify.

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