Scrape vs. Scratch — What's the Difference?

Gather or collect laboriously.

Start from the very beginning.

Remove surface layer.

Make a grating or screeching noise.

Scratch or abrade skin.

Mark or cut a surface lightly.

Produce a harsh noise.

Rub skin to relieve itching.

Avoid narrowly.

Withdraw from a contest.

To remove (an outer layer, for example) from a surface by forceful strokes of an edged or rough instrument

Score or mark the surface of (something) with a sharp or pointed object

To abrade or smooth by rubbing with a sharp or rough instrument.

Cancel or strike out (writing) with a pen or pencil

To rub (a surface) with considerable pressure, as with an edged instrument or a hard object.

Play a record using the scratch technique.

To draw (a hard or abrasive object) forcefully over a surface

A mark or wound made by scratching

To injure the surface of by rubbing against something rough or sharp

A technique, used especially in rap music, of stopping a record by hand and moving it back and forwards to give a rhythmic scratching effect

To amass or produce with difficulty

(in sport) the starting point in a race for a competitor that is not given a handicap or advantage

To come into sliding, abrasive contact.

Money

To rub or move with a harsh grating noise.

Assembled or made from whatever is available, and so unlikely to be of the highest quality

To give forth a harsh grating noise.

(of a sports competitor or event) with no handicap given

To economize or save money by paying attention to very small amounts; scrimp.

To make a thin shallow cut or mark on (a surface) with a sharp instrument.

To succeed or manage with difficulty

To use the nails or claws to dig or scrape at.

The act of scraping.

To rub or scrape (the skin) to relieve itching.

The sound of scraping.

To scrape or strike on an abrasive surface.

An abrasion on the skin.

To write or draw (something) by scraping a surface

An embarrassing or difficult predicament.

To write or draw hurriedly

A fight; a scuffle.

To strike out or cancel (a word, for example) by or as if by drawing lines through.

(ambitransitive) To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.

(Slang) To cancel (a project or program, for example).

(transitive) To remove (something) by drawing an object along in this manner.

To withdraw (an entry) from a contest or competition

(transitive) To injure or damage by rubbing across a surface.

To withdraw an entry from (a contest or competition)

(transitive) To barely manage to achieve.

To use the nails or claws to dig, scrape, or wound.

(transitive) To collect or gather, especially without regard to the quality of what is chosen.

To rub or scrape the skin to relieve itching.

(computing) To extract data by automated means from a format not intended to be machine-readable, such as a screenshot or a formatted web page.

To make a harsh scraping sound.

(intransitive) To occupy oneself with getting laboriously.

To gather funds or produce a living with difficulty.

(ambitransitive) To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or similar instrument.

To withdraw from a contest or competition.

(intransitive) To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow].

(Games) To make a shot in billiards that results in a penalty, as when the cue ball falls into a pocket or jumps the cushion.

To express disapprobation of (a play, etc.) or to silence (a speaker) by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; usually with down.

A mark resembling a line that is produced by scratching.

A broad, shallow injury left by scraping (rather than a cut or a scratch).

A slight wound.

(slang) A fight, especially a fistfight without weapons.

A hasty scribble.

An awkward set of circumstances.

A sound made by scratching.

A D and C or abortion; or, a miscarriage.

(Sports) The starting line for a race.

A shallow depression used by ground birds as a nest; a nest scrape.

A contestant who has been withdrawn from a competition.

(military) A shallow pit dug as a hideout.

The act of scratching in billiards.

A shave.

A fluke or chance shot in billiards.

Cheap butter.

Poultry feed.

Butter laid on bread in the thinnest possible manner, as though laid on and scraped off again.

(Slang) Money.

(heraldry) A diminutive of the bend (especially of the bend sinister) which is half its width.

Done haphazardly or by chance.

To rub over the surface of (something) with a sharp or rough instrument; to rub over with something that roughens by removing portions of the surface; to grate harshly over; to abrade; to make even, or bring to a required condition or form, by moving the sharp edge of an instrument breadthwise over the surface with pressure, cutting away excesses and superfluous parts; to make smooth or clean; as, to scrape a bone with a knife; to scrape a metal plate to an even surface.

Assembled hastily or at random.

To remove by rubbing or scraping (in the sense above).

(Sports) Having no golf handicap.

To collect by, or as by, a process of scraping; to gather in small portions by laborious effort; hence, to acquire avariciously and save penuriously; - often followed by together or up; as, to scrape money together.

To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.

To express disapprobation of, as a play, or to silence, as a speaker, by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; - usually with down.

To rub the skin with rough material causing a sensation of irritation; to cause itching.

To rub over the surface of anything with something which roughens or removes it, or which smooths or cleans it; to rub harshly and noisily along.

To irritate someone's skin with one's unshaven beard when kissing.

To occupy one's self with getting laboriously; as, he scraped and saved until he became rich.

To mark a surface with a sharp object, thereby leaving a scratch (noun).

To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or like instrument.

(of a surface) to get such scratches

To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow.

To cross out, strike out, strike through some text on a page.

The act of scraping; also, the effect of scraping, as a scratch, or a harsh sound; as, a noisy scrape on the floor; a scrape of a pen.

Hence, to remove, ignore, or delete.

A drawing back of the right foot when bowing; also, a bow made with that accompaniment.

(music) To produce a distinctive sound on a turntable by moving a vinyl record back and forth while manipulating the crossfader (see also scratching).

A disagreeable and embarrassing predicament out of which one can not get without undergoing, as it were, a painful rubbing or scraping; a perplexity; a difficulty.

(billiards) To commit a foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.

A harsh noise made by scraping;

To score, not by skillful play but by some fortunate chance of the game.

An abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off

To write or draw hastily or awkwardly; scrawl.

A deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility);

(ambitransitive) To dig or excavate with the claws.

An indication of damage

To dig or scrape (a person's skin) with claws or fingernails in self-defense or with the intention to injure.

Scratch repeatedly;

To announce one's non-participation in a race or sports event part of a larger sports meeting that they were previously signed up for, usually in lieu of another event at the same meeting.

Make by scraping;

A disruption, mark or shallow cut on a surface made by scratching.

Cut the surface of; wear away the surface of

An act of scratching the skin to alleviate an itch or irritation.

Bend the knees and bow in a servile manner

(sports)

Gather (money or other resources) together over time;

A starting line (originally and simply, a line scratched in the ground), as in boxing.

Bruise, cut, or injure the skin or the surface of;

A technical error of touching or surpassing the starting mark prior to the official start signal in the sporting events of long jump, discus, hammer throw, shot put, and similar. Originally the starting mark was a scratch on the ground but is now a board or precisely indicated mark.

Strike against an object;

(cycling) The last riders to depart in a handicap race.

(billiards) An aberration.

(horse racing) A horse withdrawn from a race prior to the start.

(meiosis) An injury.

(slang) Money.

A feed, usually a mixture of a few common grains, given to chickens.

(in the plural) Minute, but tender and troublesome, excoriations, covered with scabs, upon the heels of horses which have been used where it is very wet or muddy.

A scratch wig.

(music) A genre of Virgin Islander music, better known as fungi.

Scrawled or illegible handwriting; chicken scratch.

For or consisting of preliminary or tentative, incomplete, etc. work.

Hastily assembled, arranged or constructed, from whatever materials are to hand, with little or no preparation

(computing) Relating to a scratchpad, a data structure or recording medium attached to a machine for testing or temporary use.

(sports) (of a player) Of a standard high enough to play without a handicap, i.e. to compete without the benefit of a variation in scoring based on ability.

To rub and tear or mark the surface of with something sharp or ragged; to scrape, roughen, or wound slightly by drawing something pointed or rough across, as the claws, the nails, a pin, or the like.

To write or draw hastily or awkwardly.

To cancel by drawing one or more lines through, as the name of a candidate upon a ballot, or of a horse in a list; hence, to erase; to efface; - often with out.

To dig or excavate with the claws; as, some animals scratch holes, in which they burrow.

To use the claws or nails in tearing or in digging; to make scratches.

To score, not by skillful play but by some fortunate chance of the game.

A break in the surface of a thing made by scratching, or by rubbing with anything pointed or rough; a slight wound, mark, furrow, or incision.

A line across the prize ring; up to which boxers are brought when they join fight; hence, test, trial, or proof of courage; as, to bring to the scratch; to come up to the scratch.

Minute, but tender and troublesome, excoriations, covered with scabs, upon the heels of horses which have been used where it is very wet or muddy.

A kind of wig covering only a portion of the head.

A shot which scores by chance and not as intended by the player; a fluke.

In various sports, the line from which the start is made, except in the case of contestants receiving a distance handicap.

Made, done, or happening by chance; arranged with little or no preparation; determined by circumstances; haphazard; as, a scratch team; a scratch crew for a boat race; a scratch shot in billiards.

An abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off

A depression scratched or carved into a surface

Informal terms for money

Dry mash for poultry

A harsh noise made by scraping;

Poor handwriting

An indication of damage

Cause friction;

Cut the surface of; wear away the surface of

Scrape or rub as if to relieve itching;

Yes, "scrape" can mean narrowly passing or surviving, while "scratch" might refer to a slight annoyance.

Yes, "scratch" can be positive when describing starting a new project from scratch or solving an itch.

"Start from scratch" means to begin from the very start, while "scrape together" means to gather something with difficulty.

Yes, "scrape" involves deeper abrasion or removal of a surface, whereas "scratch" typically leaves lighter marks.

In cooking, "scrape" might refer to removing the outer layer of vegetables, whereas "scratch" could refer to making a meal from basic ingredients without premade components.

Rarely. They describe different levels of surface damage; "scrape" often refers to a harsher process.

Yes, conditions like eczema or dermatitis often lead to excessive scratching, which can damage skin. Excessive scraping can lead to abrasions or infections.

Yes, animals can both scrape and scratch. For example, a dog may scrape the ground with its paws to bury something, while it scratches itself to relieve an itch.

Yes, a common proverb is "You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours," implying a mutual exchange of favors.

It's important to wear protective gloves and goggles to prevent injuries from flying debris or accidental contact with sharp tools.

Scraping often uses tools like putty knives or scrapers, whereas scratching may involve needles, pins, or fingernails.

"Scrape by" implies managing with minimal resources or barely succeeding, while "starting from scratch" refers to beginning an endeavor without any prior advantages.

In sports, "scratch" can refer to an athlete being withdrawn from an event, often due to injury or disqualification.

Scratching a CD or DVD can lead to data loss or playback issues, as scratches disrupt the readability of the digital information.

Scraping typically produces a more continuous, grating sound, while scratching may result in shorter, sharper sounds.