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Webster 1913 Edition

Scuffle

Scuf′fle

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Scuffled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Scuffling
.]
[Freq. of
scuff
, v.i.; cf. Sw.
skuffa
to push, shove,
skuff
a push, Dan.
skuffe
a drawer, a shovel, and E.
shuffle
,
shove
. See
Shove
, and cf.
Shuffle
.]
1.
To strive or struggle with a close grapple; to wrestle in a rough fashion.
2.
Hence, to strive or contend tumultuously; to struggle confusedly or at haphazard.
A gallant man had rather fight to great disadvantage in the field, in an orderly way, than
scuffle
with an undisciplined rabble.
Eikon Basilike.

Scuf′fle

,
Noun.
1.
A rough, haphazard struggle, or trial of strength; a disorderly wrestling at close quarters.
2.
Hence, a confused contest; a tumultuous struggle for superiority; a fight.
The dog leaps upon the serpent, and tears it to pieces; but in the
scuffle
the cradle happened to be overturned.
L’Estrange.
3.
A child's pinafore or bib.
[Prov. Eng.]
4.
A garden hoe.
[Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.

Webster 1828 Edition

Scuffle

SCUF'FLE

,
Noun.
[This is a different orthography of shuffle; from shove, or its root.]
1. A contention or trial of strength between two persons, who embrace each other's bodies; a struggle with close embrace, to decide which shall throw the other; in distinction from from wrestling, which is a trial of strength and dexterity at arm's lenght. Among our common people, it is not unusual for two persons to commence a contest by wrestling, and at last close in, as it is called, and decide the contest by a scuffle.
2. A confused contest; a tumultuous struggle for victory or superiority; a fight.
The dog leaps upon the serpent and tears it to pieces; but in the scuffle, the cradle happened to be overturned. L' Estrange.

SCUF'FLE

,
Verb.
I.
1. To strive or struggle with close embrace, as two men or boys,
2. To strive or contend tumultuously, as small parties.
A gallant man prefers to fight to great disadvantages in the field, in an orderly way, rather than to scuffle with an undisciplined rabble. K. Charles.

Definition 2024

scuffle

scuffle

English

Bauernrauferei beim Kartenspiel (Smallholders Playing Cards, circa 1630–1640) by Flemish painter Adriaen Brouwer

Noun

scuffle ‎(plural scuffles)

  1. A rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters.
    • 1692, Roger L'Estrange, “Fab[le] CCCCLXIV. A Trusty Dog and His Master.”, in Fables of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: With Morals and Reflexions, London: Printed for R[ichard] Sare, T. Sawbridge, B. Took, M[atthew] Gillyflower, A. & J. Churchil, and J[oseph] Hindmarsh, OCLC 12706417; 2nd corrected and amended edition, London: Printed for R[ichard] Sare, B. Took, M[atthew] Gillyflower, A. & J. Churchil, J[oseph] Hindmarsh, and G[eorge] Sawbridge, 1694, OCLC 606109080, page 435:
      The Dog leaps upon the Serpent, and Tears it to Pieces; but in the Scuffle the Cradle happen'd to be Overturn'd: […]
    • 2016 June 11, Phil McNulty, “England 1–1 Russia”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 13 June 2016:
      Fights ensued as many England supporters attempted to retreat before some stewards moved in. Intermittent scuffles continued to break out until the section of the crowd where the trouble started was vacated.
  2. A Dutch hoe, manipulated by both pushing and pulling.
  3. (archaic) A child's pinafore or bib.

Synonyms

  • (Dutch hoe): scuffle hoe

Translations

Verb

scuffle ‎(third-person singular simple present scuffles, present participle scuffling, simple past and past participle scuffled)

  1. (intransitive) To fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters.
  2. (intransitive) To walk with a shuffling gait.
  3. (slang) To make a living with difficulty, getting by on a low income, to struggle financially.

Translations

Etymology

Possibly of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish skuff ‎(“a push”) and skuffa ‎(“to push”), from the Proto-Germanic base *skuf- (skuƀ).

Pronunciation

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