Meanings
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1
noun
a film of foam, dirt, impurities, or vegetation that forms on the surface of a liquid
A thin layer of scum collected on the stagnant pond.
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2
noun
an insulting term for a contemptible person or group of people
The speaker denounced his opponents as scum, drawing criticism for the dehumanizing language.
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3
verb
to remove a layer of scum from the surface of a liquid
The worker used a ladle to scum the impurities from the molten metal.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English scum, probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German schume ("foam"), ultimately Germanic. The contemptuous human sense arose by metaphor from the unwanted impurities floating on a liquid's surface.