- scrape
- 1
verb
1 (T) to remove something from a surface, using the edge of a knife, stick etc: Scrape the carrots and slice them thinly. | scrape sth away/off etc: I tried to scrape some of the mud off my boots. | We scraped away several layers of old varnish. | scrape sth clean: The plates had all been scraped clean.2 (intransitive always + adv/prep, transitive) to rub against a rough surface in a way that causes slight damage or injury, or to make something do this(+ on/against etc): The car exhaust was hanging down and scraping the ground. | scrape sth on/against etc: I scraped my knee painfully on the concrete.3 (I, T) to make an unpleasant noise by rubbing roughly against a surface: Chairs scraped loudly as they stood up. | scrape (sth) on/down/against etc: Her fingernails scraped down the blackboard.4 scrape home especially BrE to win a race, election, or competition by a very small amount: Johnson scraped home just milliseconds ahead of Lewis.5 scrape a hole to make a hole or hollow place in the ground by rubbing the surface6 scrape (the bottom of) the barrel informal to have to use something even though it is not very good because there is nothing better available—see also: bow and scrape bow 1 (4), pinch and scrape pinch 1 (5), scrape/scratch a living living 2 (1) scrape by phrasal verb (I)1 to have just enough money to live: They just managed to scrape by on Fred's tiny salary.2 especially AmE to only just succeed in passing an examination or dealing with a difficult situationscrape in/into phrasal verb (I, T) to only just succeed in getting a job, place at university, position in government etc: He just scraped into college. | Labour scraped in by a small majority. scrape through phrasal verb (I, T) to only just succeed in passing an examination or dealing with a difficult situation: Dani just scraped through her exams. scrape sth together/up phrasal verb (T) to get enough money for a particular purpose, when this is difficult: She scraped together the last of her savings to buy the cottage. 2 noun1 (singular) the unpleasant noise made when one surface rubs roughly against another: We heard the scrape of a chair downstairs and then footsteps.2 (C) a situation that is difficult or slightly dangerous: He got himself into all sorts of scrapes as a boy.3 (C) a mark or slight injury caused by rubbing against a rough surface: We came away from the accident with only a few cuts and scrapes.
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.