scrimshaw
Valid in Scrabble
- Scrabble points
- 19
- Words With Friends
- 20
- Letters
- 9
See all 3 pronunciations Show less
Definition of scrimshaw
7 senses · 3 parts of speech · etymology included
verb
- (transitive)To create (a small ornamental handicraft also called a scrimshaw) by carving or engraving on bone (originally whalebone or whales' teeth), ivory, or other materials.
See all 7 definitions Show less
verb
- (transitive)To create (a small ornamental handicraft also called a scrimshaw) by carving or engraving on bone (originally whalebone or whales' teeth), ivory, or other materials.
- (transitive)To carve or engrave (bone, ivory, or other materials) with ornamental designs.
- (transitive)To carve or engrave (ornamental designs) on bone, ivory, or other materials.
- (intransitive)To make a handicraft of scrimshaw.
noun
-
(also, attributive, countable)A small ornamental handicraft created by carving or engraving bone (originally whalebone or whales' teeth), ivory, or other materials, formerly produced by sailors on whaling ships to pass the time on long voyages.
“Rooney got his skull exposed, doggone it Soon he's gonna get scrimshaw carved on it”
- (also, attributive, uncountable)The manufacture of small ornamental handicrafts by carving or engraving bone, ivory, or other materials, formerly by sailors on whaling ships to pass the time on long voyages.
name
- A surname.
Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Etymology
The origin of the verb is unknown, but it has possibly been influenced by the surname Scrimshaw. Various etymologies have been proposed (for example, that it derives from scrimshank (“(Britain,…
See full etymology Show less
The origin of the verb is unknown, but it has possibly been influenced by the surname Scrimshaw. Various etymologies have been proposed (for example, that it derives from scrimshank (“(Britain, military slang) to be idle, to shirk duty”)), but the Oxford English Dictionary does not consider any of them convincing. Following the surname theory, Etymonline ultimately derives the word probably from Old French escremisseor (“fencing-master”). The noun is probably derived from the verb.
Words you can make from scrimshaw
200+ playable · top: CHARISMS (15 pts)
Best play charisms 15 points7-letter words
8 words6-letter words
24 words- SCHWAS 14 pts
- SHAWMS 14 pts
- CHARMS 13 pts
- CHASMS 13 pts
- CHIASM 13 pts
- CHIMAR 13 pts
- CHIRMS 13 pts
- CHRISM 13 pts
- SCHISM 13 pts
- SIMCHA 13 pts
- SMIRCH 13 pts
- RAWISH 12 pts
- CHAIRS 11 pts
- IHRAMS 11 pts
- MARISH 11 pts
- RACHIS 11 pts
- SWAMIS 11 pts
- SWARMS 11 pts
- RACISM 10 pts
- SCRAMS 10 pts
- SCRIMS 10 pts
- CRASIS 8 pts
- CRISSA 8 pts
- SIMARS 8 pts
5-letter words
56 words- CHAWS 13 pts
- SCHWA 13 pts
- SHAWM 13 pts
- WHAMS 13 pts
- WHIMS 13 pts
- CHAMS 12 pts
- CHARM 12 pts
- CHASM 12 pts
- CHIRM 12 pts
- MACHS 12 pts
- MARCH 12 pts
- SHAWS 11 pts
- SHWAS 11 pts
- SWASH 11 pts
- SWISH 11 pts
- WHIRS 11 pts
- WISHA 11 pts
- ARCHI 10 pts
- ASWIM 10 pts
- CHAIR 10 pts
- CHAIS 10 pts
- CHARS 10 pts
- CHIAS 10 pts
- CRASH 10 pts
- CRAWS 10 pts
- HARMS 10 pts
- IHRAM 10 pts
- MARSH 10 pts
- SHAMS 10 pts
- SHIMS 10 pts
- SMASH 10 pts
- SWAMI 10 pts
- SWARM 10 pts
- SWIMS 10 pts
- WARMS 10 pts
- CAMIS 9 pts
- CRAMS 9 pts
- MARCS 9 pts
- MICAS 9 pts
- MICRA 9 pts
- SCAMS 9 pts
- SCRAM 9 pts
- SCRIM 9 pts
- HAIRS 8 pts
- SHRIS 8 pts
- WAIRS 8 pts
- AMIRS 7 pts
- AMISS 7 pts
- CRASS 7 pts
- CRIAS 7 pts
- MAIRS 7 pts
- SCARS 7 pts
- SIMAR 7 pts
- SIMAS 7 pts
- ARSIS 5 pts
- SARIS 5 pts
4-letter words
81 words- CHAW 12 pts
- WHAM 12 pts
- WHIM 12 pts
- WICH 12 pts
- CHAM 11 pts
- CWMS 11 pts
- MACH 11 pts
- HAWS 10 pts
- SHAW 10 pts
- SHWA 10 pts
- WASH 10 pts
- WHIR 10 pts
- WISH 10 pts
- ARCH 9 pts
- CASH 9 pts
- CAWS 9 pts
- CHAI 9 pts
- CHAR 9 pts
- CHIA 9 pts
- CHIS 9 pts
- CRAW 9 pts
- HAMS 9 pts
- HARM 9 pts
- HIMS 9 pts
- ICHS 9 pts
- MASH 9 pts
- MAWS 9 pts
- RICH 9 pts
- SHAM 9 pts
- SHIM 9 pts
- SWAM 9 pts
- SWIM 9 pts
- WARM 9 pts
- CAMI 8 pts
- CAMS 8 pts
- CRAM 8 pts
- MACS 8 pts
- MARC 8 pts
- MICA 8 pts
- MICS 8 pts
- SCAM 8 pts
- AHIS 7 pts
- HAIR 7 pts
- HISS 7 pts
- RASH 7 pts
- RAWS 7 pts
- SASH 7 pts
- SAWS 7 pts
- SHRI 7 pts
- WAIR 7 pts
- WARS 7 pts
- WISS 7 pts
- AIMS 6 pts
- AMIR 6 pts
- AMIS 6 pts
- ARCS 6 pts
- ARMS 6 pts
- ASCI 6 pts
- CARS 6 pts
- CRIA 6 pts
- CRIS 6 pts
- ISMS 6 pts
- MAIR 6 pts
- MARS 6 pts
- MASS 6 pts
- MIRS 6 pts
- MISS 6 pts
- RAMI 6 pts
- RAMS 6 pts
- RIMS 6 pts
- SACS 6 pts
- SCAR 6 pts
- SICS 6 pts
- SIMA 6 pts
- SIMS 6 pts
- AIRS 4 pts
- RAIS 4 pts
- RIAS 4 pts
- SARI 4 pts
- SIRS 4 pts
- SRIS 4 pts
3-letter words
30 words- CWM 10 pts
- HAW 9 pts
- CAW 8 pts
- CHI 8 pts
- HAM 8 pts
- HIC 8 pts
- HIM 8 pts
- ICH 8 pts
- MAW 8 pts
- CAM 7 pts
- MAC 7 pts
- MIC 7 pts
- AHI 6 pts
- AHS 6 pts
- ASH 6 pts
- HAS 6 pts
- HIS 6 pts
- AIM 5 pts
- AMI 5 pts
- ARC 5 pts
- ARM 5 pts
- CAR 5 pts
- CIS 5 pts
- ISM 5 pts
- MAR 5 pts
- MAS 5 pts
- AIR 3 pts
- AIS 3 pts
- ARS 3 pts
- ASS 3 pts
Hooks
1 extension · 1 back
A single letter you can add to scrimshaw to make another valid word.
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