HOW TO PRONOUNCE
scarify
American English · Video pronunciation
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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:25
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What does scarify mean?
verb
- To remove thatch (build-up of organic matter on the soil) from a lawn, to dethatch.
- To make scratches or cuts on.
- To damage the testa (seed coat) of a seed by cutting, scraping, chemicals, hot water, or fire to allow permeation of water and faster germination.
More meanings (6)
verb
- To break up, loosen, or roughen the surface of a field or road or a hard surface.
- To scratch, etch, burn, or cut designs into one's skin as a form of body modification.
- (figuratively) To harrow the feelings.
- To frighten; to scare, to terrify.
- (obsolete) To scar.
- (obsolete) Denude, or lay waste to.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
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In the pages of books
See this word in context.
If they be red, hot, and swollen, send for a medical man, that he may scarify them.
For many purposes, tools that scrape or scarify the surface are preferable to hoes that dig up the ground.
More book examples (3)
Tie a ligature tightly ABOVE the bite, scarify the wound deeply with a knife, and allow it to bleed freely.
Tom contrived to scarify the cupboard with it, and was arranging to begin on the bureau, when he was called off to dress for Sunday-school.
Often a devoted mother would scarify her arms or legs; a sister or a young wife would cut off all her beautiful hair and disfigure herself by undergoing hardships.