Library / English Dictionary

SCARIFY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: scarified   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Puncture and scar (the skin), as for purposes or tribal identification or rituals

Example:

The men in some African tribes scarify their faces

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "scarify" is one way to...):

puncture (pierce with a pointed object; make a hole into)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

scar (a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Break up

Example:

scarify soil

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "scarify" is one way to...):

loosen (make less dense)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Scratch the surface of

Example:

scarify seeds

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "scarify" is one way to...):

mark; nock; score (make small marks into the surface of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Credits