Online Etymology Dictionary

scritch: see screech.
scrivener (n.): "professional penman, copyist," late 14c. (early 13c. as a surname), from scrivein "scribe" (c.1300), from Old French escrivain "a writer, notary, clerk," from Vulgar Latin *scribanem accusative of scriba "a scribe," from scribere (see script).
scrod (n.): 1841, "young cod, split and fried or boiled," possibly from Dutch schrood "piece cut off," from Middle Dutch scrode "shred" (cf. Old English screade; see shred (n.)). If this is the origin, the notion is probably of fish cut into pieces for drying or cooking.
A Boston brahmin is on a business trip to Philadelphia. In search of dinner, and hungry for that Boston favorite, broiled scrod, he hops into a cab and asks the driver, "My good man, take me someplace where I can get scrod." The cabbie replies, "Pal, that's the first time I've ever been asked that in the passive pluperfect subjunctive."
scrofula (n.): c.1400, scrophulas (plural) from Late Latin scrofulæ (plural) "swelling of the glands of the neck," literally "little pigs," from Latin scrofa "breeding sow." The connection may be because the glands associated with the disease resemble the body of a sow, or because pigs were thought to be prone to it. Cf. Greek khoirades (plural) "scrofula," related to khoiros "young pig."
scrofulous (adj.): early 15c., from Medieval Latin scrophulosus; see scrofula + -ous. Related: Scrofulously.
scroggy (adj.): "overgrown with bushes," mid-15c., from scrog (n.) "a stunted bush, a shrub-like plant" (c.1400), probably related to scrag "a lean person or thing" (1570s); cf. scraggly.
scroll (n.): c.1400, "roll of parchment or paper," altered (by association with rolle "roll") from scrowe (early 13c.), from Anglo-French escrowe, Old French escroe "scrap, roll of parchment," from Frankish *skroda "shred" (cf. Middle Dutch schroode "shred," Old High German scrot "piece cut off," German Schrot "log, block, small shot"), from Proto-Germanic *skrautha "something cut."
scroll (v.): "to write down in a scroll," c.1600, from scroll (n.). Sense of "show a few lines at a time" (on a computer or TV screen) first recorded 1981. Related: Scrolled; scrolling.
scrooge (n.): generic for "miser," 1940, from curmudgeonly character in Dickens' 1843 story "A Christmas Carol." It does not appear to be a genuine English surname. Cf. scrounge.
scrotum (n.): 1590s, from Latin scrotum, cognate with Old English scrud "garment" (source of shroud (n.)).
"Isn't the sea what Algy calls it: a grey sweet mother? The snotgreen sea. The scrotum-tightening sea. Epi oinopa ponton." [Joyce, "Ulysses"]
scrounge (v.): "to acquire by irregular means," 1915, alteration of dialectal scrunge "to search stealthily, rummage, pilfer" (1909), of uncertain origin, perhaps from dialectal scringe "to pry about;" or perhaps related to scrouge, scrooge "push, jostle" (1755, Cockney slang for "a crowd"), probably suggestive of screw, squeeze. Popularized by the military in World War I. Related: Scrounged; scrounging.
scrub (v.): "rub hard," c.1300, perhaps from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German schrubben "to scrub," or from an unrecorded Old English cognate, or from a Scandinavian source (cf. Danish skrubbe "to scrub"), probably ultimately from some cognate of shrub, used as a cleaning tool (cf. the evolution of broom, brush (n.1)).

Meaning "to cancel" is attested from 1828 (popularized during World War II with reference to flights), probably from notion of "to rub out, erase." Related: Scrubbed; scrubbing. The noun meaning "act of scrubbing" is recorded from 1620s.
scrub (n.): "brush, shrubs," late 14c., "low, stunted tree," variant of shrobbe (see shrub), perhaps influenced by a Scandinavian word (cf. Danish dialectal skrub "a stunted tree, brushwood"). Collective sense is attested from 1805. Transferred sense of "mean, insignificant fellow" is from 1580s; U.S. sports meaning "athlete not on the varsity team" is recorded from 1892.
scrubby (adj.): 1590s; see scrub (n.) + -y (2). Related: Scrubbiness.
scruff (n.): "nape of the neck," 1790, altered (by influence of scruff "crust") from scuft (1787), probably related to North Frisian skuft "back of the neck of a horse" and Dutch schoft "withers of a horse," from a common Germanic source (cf. Old Norse skopt "hair of the head," Gothic skuft, Middle High German schopf, German Schopf).
scruffy (adj.): 1650s, from scruff "dandruff, scurf" (late Old English), variant of scurf (q.v.). Generalized sense of "rough and dirty" is from 1871. Related: Scruffily; scruffiness.
scrum (n.): 1888, abbreviation of scrummage, a variant form of scrimmage (q.v.).
scrumptious (adj.): 1836, probably a colloquial alteration of sumptuous. Originally "stylish, splendid;" sense of "delicious" is from 1881.
scrunch (v.): 1825, "to bite," intensive form of crunch (v.). Meaning "to squeeze" is recorded from 1884. Related: Scrunched; scrunching.
scruple (v.): "to have or make scruples," 1620s, from scruple (n.). Related: Scrupled; scrupling.
scruple (n.): "moral misgiving, pang of conscience," late 14c., from Old French scrupule (14c.), from Latin scrupulus "uneasiness, anxiety, pricking of conscience," literally "small sharp stone," diminutive of scrupus "sharp stone or pebble," used figuratively by Cicero for a cause of uneasiness or anxiety, probably from the notion of having a pebble in one's shoe. A more literal Latin sense of "small unit of weight or measurement" is attested in English from late 14c.
scrupulous (adj.): mid-15c., from Anglo-French scrupulus, Old French scrupulos (Modern French scrupuleux) or directly from Latin scrupulosus, from scrupulus (see scruple). Related: Scrupulously.
scrutinise (v.): chiefly British English spelling of scrutinize (q.v.); for suffix, see -ize. Related: Scrutinised; scrutinising.
scrutinization (n.): 1772, noun of action from scrutinize.
scrutinize (v.): 1670s; see scrutiny + -ize. Related: Scrutinized; scrutinizing.
scrutiny (n.): early 15c., "a vote to choose someone to decide a question," from Late Latin scrutinium "a search, inquiry" (in Medieval Latin, "a mode of election by ballot"), from Latin scrutari "to examine, search" (as through trash), from scruta (plural) "trash, rags" (see shred). Meaning "close examination" first recorded c.1600.
scry (v.): 1520s, "to see images in a crystal, water, etc., which reveal the past or forebode the future;" a shortening of descry (v.1). Related: Scried; scrying.
scuba: 1952, acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.
scud (v.): "to move quickly," 1530s, perhaps a variant of Middle English scut "rabbit, rabbit's tail," in reference to its movements, perhaps from Old Norse skjota "to throw, shoot" (cf. Norwegian skudda "to shove, push"), but there are phonetic difficulties. Perhaps rather from a North Sea Germanic source akin to Middle Low German, Middle Dutch schudden "to shake." The type of ballistic missile is the NATO reporting name for a type of Soviet missile introduced in the 1960s.
scuff (v.): 1768, from Scottish, probably from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse skufa, skyfa "to shove."
scuffle (v.): 1570s, probably a frequentative form of scuff, of Scandinavian origin. Related: Scuffled; scuffling.
scull (n.): "kind of oar," mid-14c., of unknown origin. The verb is from 1620s. Related: Sculled; sculling.
scullery (n.): early 14c., "household department concerned with the care of kitchen utensils," from Old French escuelerie "office of the servant in charge of plates, etc.," from escuelier "keeper of the dishes," from escuelle "dish," from Latin scutella "serving platter, silver" (see scuttle (n.)).
scullion (n.): "low-ranking domestic servant who performs menial kitchen tasks," late 15c., perhaps from Middle French escouillon "a swab, cloth," diminutive of escouve "broom, twig," from Latin scopa (plural scopæ) "broom," related to scapus "shaft, stem." Or an alteration of Old French souillon "scullion," by influence of scullery.
sculpt (v.): 1864, from French sculpter, from Latin sculpt-, past participle stem of sculpere "to carve" (see sculpture). Related: Sculpted; sculpting. The older verb form was sculpture (1640s).
sculptor (n.): 1630s, from Latin sculptor, agent noun from sculpere (see sculpture).
sculpture (n.): late 14c., from Latin sculptura "sculpture," from past participle stem of sculpere "to carve, engrave," back-formation from compounds such as exculpere, from scalpere "to carve, cut," from PIE root *(s)kel- "to cut, cleave."
scum (n.): early 14c. (implied in scummer "shallow ladle for removing scum"), from Middle Dutch schume "foam, froth," from Proto-Germanic *skuma- (cf. Old Norse skum, Old High German scum, German Schaum "foam, froth"), perhaps from PIE root *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal" (see hide (n.1)). Sense deteriorated from "thin layer atop liquid" to "film of dirt," then just "dirt." Meaning "lowest class of humanity" is 1580s; scum of the Earth is from 1712. Adopted in Romanic, cf. Old French escume, Modern French écume, Spanish escuma, Italian schiuma.
scumbag (n.): "condom," by 1939, slang, from scum + bag (n.). Earlier (by 1817) it was used in sugar refining as the name of a frame covered in coarse cloth used in straining. Meaning "despicable person" is attested by 1971.
scummy (adj.): 1570s, from scum + -y (2). Transferred sense of "filthy, disreputable" is recorded from 1932.
scupper (n.): "opening in a ship's side at deck level," late 15c., perhaps from Old French escopir "to spit out," or related to Dutch schop "shovel," or from Middle English scope "scoop" (see scoop).
scuppernong (n.): cultivated muscadine grape vine, 1811, from name of a river in North Carolina, U.S., probably from some American Indian word.
scurf (n.): late Old English sceorf, from Proto-Germanic *skurf- (cf. Danish skurv, Middle Dutch scorf, Dutch schurft, Old High German scorf, German Schorf "scurf"), probably from the same root as Old English sceorfan "to gnaw," scearfian "to cut into shreds."
scurfy (adj.): late 15c., from scurf + -y (2).
scurrilous (adj.): "using such language as only the licence of a buffoon can warrant" [Johnson], 1570s, from scurrile "coarsely joking" (c.1500, implied in scurrility), from Latin scurrilis "buffoonlike," from scurra "fashionable city idler," later "buffoon." According to Klein, "an Etruscan loan-word."
scurry (v.): 1810, perhaps from hurry-scurry (1732), a reduplication of hurry.
scurvy (n.): 1560s, noun use of adjective scurvy (early 15c.), variant of scurfy (see scurf). It took on the meaning of Dutch scheurbuik, French scorbut "scurvy," the disease characterized by swollen and bleeding gums, prostration, etc., perhaps from Old Norse skyrbjugr, which is perhaps literally "a swelling (bjugr) from drinking sour milk (skyr) on long sea voyages;" but OED has alternative etymology of Middle Dutch or Middle Low German origin, as "disease that lacerates the belly," from schoren "to lacerate" + Middle Low German buk, Dutch buik "belly."
scuse (v.): shortened form of excuse (v.), attested from late 15c.
scut (n.): term of contempt for a person, 1873, of unknown origin.
scuttle (n.): "bucket," Old English scutel "dish, platter," from Latin scutella "serving platter," diminutive of scutra "flat tray, dish," perhaps related to scutum "shield" (see hide (n.1)). A common Germanic borrowing from Latin (cf. Old Norse skutill, Middle Dutch schotel, Old High German scuzzila, German Schüssel). Meaning "basket for sifting grain" is attested from mid-14c.; sense of "bucket for holding coal" first recorded 1849.