## Meanings
1. To rub your skin with your nails, often to relieve itching.
2. To make a thin mark or cut on a surface with something sharp.
3. To rub the skin in an unpleasant way, causing irritation.
4. A thin mark or cut left on a surface by something sharp.

## Examples
- Don't scratch your insect bites!
- A real diamond can easily scratch a pane of glass.
- I don't like that new scarf because it scratches my neck.
- There was a deep scratch along the side of the car.

## Derived Forms
- head-scratching
- scratch-and-dent
- scratch-built
- scratch-out
- scratch-proof
- scratchband
- scratcher
- scratchpad
- scratchy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: scracchen
- Root: scratten

## Etymology
From Middle English scracchen, of uncertain origin. Probably a blend of Middle English scratten (“to scratch”) and cracchen (“to scratch”). More at scrat and cratch.

## AI Etymology
Scratch is from Middle English scracchen, of uncertain origin. Probably a blend of Middle English scratten (“to scratch”) and cracchen (“to scratch”). More at scrat and cratch. Important forms in the word's history include Middle English scracchen, Middle English scratten. In current use it includes senses such as To rub your skin with your nails, often to relieve itching and To make a thin mark or cut on a surface with something sharp.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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