scribble

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: scrib=ble

CIDE DICTIONARY

scribble, v. t. [Cf. Scrabble.].

 To card coarsely; to run through the scribbling machine.  [1913 Webster]

scribble, v. t. [From Scribe.].

•  To write hastily or carelessly, without regard to correctness or elegance; as, to scribble a letter.  [1913 Webster]
•  To fill or cover with careless or worthless writing.  [1913 Webster]

scribble, v. i. 

 To write without care, elegance, or value; to scrawl.  [1913 Webster]
"If Mævius scribble in Apollo's spite."  [1913 Webster]

scribble, n. 

 Hasty or careless writing; a writing of little value; a scrawl; as, a hasty scribble.  Boyle.  [1913 Webster]
"Neither did I but vacant seasons spend
In this my scribble."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

scribble, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. write carelessly or hurriedly.
2 intr. often derog. be an author or writer.
3 intr. & tr. draw carelessly or meaninglessly.
--n.
1 a scrawl.
2 a hasty note etc.
3 careless handwriting.

Derivative

scribbler n. scribbly adj.

scribble, v.tr. card (wool, cotton, etc.) coarsely.

Etymology

prob. f. LG: cf. G schrubbeln (in the same sense), frequent. f. LG schrubben: see SCRUB(1)

THESAURUS

scribble

anamorphosis, bad likeness, barbouillage, botch, burlesque, caricature, daub, distortion, doodle, hen scratches, hen tracks, illegibility, indecipherability, jot down, misdraw, mispaint, parody, pattes de mouche, pothookery, pothooks, pothooks and hangers, scrabble, scratch, scrawl, scribbling, scribe, squiggle, travesty, undecipherability, unreadability, write

ROGET THESAURUS

scribble

Writing

N writing, chirography, stelography, cerography, penmanship, craftmanship, quill driving, typewriting, writing, manuscript, MS, literae scriptae, these presents, stroke of the pen, dash of the pen, coupe de plume, line, headline, pen and ink, letter, uncial writing, cuneiform character, arrowhead, Ogham, Runes, hieroglyphic, contraction, Brahmi, Devanagari, Nagari, script, shorthand, stenography, brachygraphy, tachygraphy, secret writing, writing in cipher, cryptography, stenography, phonography, pasigraphy, Polygraphy, logography, copy, transcript, rescript, rough copy, fair copy, handwriting, signature, sign manual, autograph, monograph, holograph, hand, fist, calligraphy, good hand, running hand, flowing hand, cursive hand, legible hand, bold hand, cacography, griffonage, barbouillage, bad hand, cramped hand, crabbed hand, illegible hand, scribble, pattes de mouche, ill-formed letters, pothooks and hangers, stationery, pen, quill, goose quill, pencil, style, paper, foolscap, parchment, vellum, papyrus, tablet, slate, marble, pillar, table, blackboard, ink bottle, ink horn, ink pot, ink stand, ink well, typewriter, transcription, inscription, superscription, graphology, composition, authorship, cacoethes scribendi, graphoidea, graphomania, phrenoia, writer, scribe, amanuensis, scrivener, secretary, clerk, penman, copyist, transcriber, quill driver, stenographer, typewriter, typist, writer for the press, writing, written, in writing, in black and white, under one's hand, uncial, Runic, cuneiform, hieroglyphical, currente calamo, pen in hand, audacter et sincere, le style est l'homme meme, nature's noblest gift - my gray goose quill, scribendi recte sapere et principium et fons, that mighty instrument of little men, the pen became a clarion.

VB write, pen, copy, engross, write out, write out fair, transcribe, scribble, scrawl, scrabble, scratch, interline, stain paper, write down, sign, enface, compose, indite, draw up, draft, formulate, dictate, inscribe, throw on paper, dash off, manifold, take up the pen, take pen in hand, shed ink, spill ink, dip one's pen in ink.