First published 1911; not yet revised More entries for "scuffle"

scufflenoun2

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency
Compounds & derived words

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the noun scuffle mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun scuffle. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

This word is used in U.S. English.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

See meaning & use

How common is the noun scuffle?

About 0.07occurrences per million words in modern written English

1790	0.12
1800	0.13
1810	0.13
1820	0.13
1830	0.14
1840	0.14
1850	0.14
1860	0.13
1870	0.13
1880	0.12
1890	0.12
1900	0.11
1910	0.11
1920	0.1
1930	0.092
1940	0.085
1950	0.08
1960	0.075
1970	0.071
1980	0.07
1990	0.069
2000	0.068
2010	0.068

See frequency

How is the noun scuffle pronounced?

British English

/ˈskʌfl/

SKUFF-uhl

U.S. English

/ˈskəf(ə)l/

SKU-fuhl

See pronunciation

Where does the noun scuffle come from?

Earliest known use

late 1700s

The earliest known use of the noun scuffle is in the late 1700s.

OED's earliest evidence for scuffle is from 1797, in the writing of Samuel Deane.

scuffle is a borrowing from Dutch.

Etymons: Dutch schoffel.

See etymology

Nearby entries

scufe, n.1825–
scuff, n.¹1824–
scuff, n.²1787–
scuff, v.1595–
scuffe, n.1599
scuffed, adj.1827–
scuffer, n.¹1860–
scuffer, n.²1911–
scuffing, n.1883–
scuffle, n.¹a1616–
scuffle, n.²1797–
scuffle, v.¹1579–
scuffle, v.²1766–
scuffle-hunter, n.1796–
scuffler, n.¹1633–
scuffler, n.²1794–
scuffle-shoe, n.1895–
scuff-resistant, adj.1959–
scuffy, adj.1858–
scufting, n.1688–
scug, n.¹c1485–

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Entry history for scuffle, n.²

scuffle, n.² was first published in 1911; not yet revised.

scuffle, n.² was last modified in July 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into scuffle, n.² in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1911)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View scuffle, n.² in OED Second Edition

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Chicago

Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for scuffle, n.²

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Nearby entries

scufe, n.1825–
scuff, n.¹1824–
scuff, n.²1787–
scuff, v.1595–
scuffe, n.1599
scuffed, adj.1827–
scuffer, n.¹1860–
scuffer, n.²1911–
scuffing, n.1883–
scuffle, n.¹a1616–
scuffle, n.²1797–
scuffle, v.¹1579–
scuffle, v.²1766–
scuffle-hunter, n.1796–
scuffler, n.¹1633–
scuffler, n.²1794–
scuffle-shoe, n.1895–
scuff-resistant, adj.1959–
scuffy, adj.1858–
scufting, n.1688–
scug, n.¹c1485–

Browse more nearby entries