scuffle — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters.

   Examples

   The Dog leaps upon the Serpent, and Tears it to Pieces; but in the Scuffle the Cradle happen'd to be Overturn'd: […]

   It appears the Company had received news that one of their captains had been killed in a scuffle with the natives.

   More examples (1)

   Fights ensued as many England supporters attempted to retreat before some stewards moved in. Intermittent scuffles continued to break out until the section of the crowd where the trouble started was vacated.

2. Poverty; struggle.

   Usage

   • Slang

   Examples

   But even on the scuffle / The cleaner's press was in my jeans

3. A child's pinafore or bib.

   Usage

   • Archaic

Verb

1. To fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   Certainly a gallant man had rather fight to great diſadvantages for number and place in the field in an orderly way, then ſcuffle with an undiſciplined rabble.

2. To walk with a shuffling gait.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   But shiftings and readjustments ensued, as they are sure to do with a walking-party. Cope presently found himself scuffling through the thin grass and the briery thickets alongside the young business-man.

3. To make a living with difficulty, getting by on a low income, to struggle financially.

   Usage

   • Slang

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Once a good friend of mine, a fine hoofer who was having trouble getting bookings, ran up to that tree, gave it a big smack, and yelled “Lawd please make me a pimp, any kind of a pimp, long as I’m pimpin’. I’m tired of scufflin’ and my feet are too long outa work.”

Noun

1. A type of hoe, manipulated by both pushing and pulling, with a sharp blade parallel with the worked surface; an instance of this type.

   Synonyms

   scuffle hoeDutch hoecollinear hoecollineal hoe[Appendix:Glossary

   Broader terms

   hoehand toolimplementtool

   Examples

   Near-synonyms: collinear hoe, collineal hoe (loosely synonymous)

Verb

1. To work the soil surface for weeding, etc.

   Synonyms

   scarifycultivategrubweed

   Examples

   Near-synonyms: (sometimes synonymous) scarify, cultivate, grub; weed

Noun

1. disorderly fighting

   Synonyms

   hassletussledogfightrough-and-tumble

   Broader terms

   fightfightingcombatscrap

2. a hoe that is used by pushing rather than pulling

   Synonyms

   scuffle hoeDutch hoe

   Broader terms

   hoe

3. an unceremonious and disorganized struggle

   Synonyms

   scramble

   Broader terms

   strugglebattle

Verb

1. walk by dragging one's feet

   Synonyms

   shuffleshamble

   Broader terms

   walk

   Examples

   he shuffled out of the room

   We heard his feet shuffling down the hall

2. fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters

   Synonyms

   tussle

   Broader terms

   contendfightstruggle

   Examples

   the drunken men started to scuffle