SCOURING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does scouring mean? 

• SCOURING (noun)
  The noun SCOURING has 2 senses:

1. moving over territory to search for something

2. the act of cleaning a surface by rubbing it with a brush and soap and water

  Familiarity information: SCOURING used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SCOURING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Moving over territory to search for something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

scouring the entire area revealed nothing

Hypernyms ("scouring" is a kind of...):

hunt; hunting; search (the activity of looking thoroughly in order to find something or someone)

Derivation:

scour (examine minutely)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of cleaning a surface by rubbing it with a brush and soap and water

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

scouring; scrub; scrubbing

Hypernyms ("scouring" is a kind of...):

cleaning; cleansing; cleanup (the act of making something clean)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "scouring"):

mopping; swabbing (cleaning with a mop)

Derivation:

scour (clean with hard rubbing)

 Context examples 

There was a general shout in favour of the coach-house, and those who were nearest the door began to slip through, in the hope of scouring the best places.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The men working the searchlight, after scouring the entrance of the harbour without seeing anything, then turned the light on the derelict and kept it there.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)