scurf

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   flakes or scales shed from the surface of the skin, especially as dandruff or because of disease

   A medicated shampoo reduced the scurf on the dog's skin.

2. 2
   noun

   a scaly or branlike coating on the surface of a plant part

   A pale scurf covered the underside of the infected leaves.

Simplified etymology

Scurf is an Old English word for dandruff or a similar skin condition. It comes from the same root as Old English words meaning “to gnaw” and “to shred,” and it was later altered to scruff as an insult for an untidy person.

From Old English scurf, 'scab or skin disease,' related to a Germanic verb meaning 'to scrape or gnaw' and ultimately to an Indo-European root meaning 'to cut.' The word came to denote loose flakes from skin and similar scale-like coatings on plants.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary