scruffy (adj.)

1650s, "covered with scurf," from scruff "dandruff, scurf" (late Old English variant of scurf) + -y (2). Generalized sense of "rough and dirty" is from 1871. Related: Scruffily; scruffiness.

Entries linking to scruffy

scurf (n.)

late Old English sceorf, from Proto-Germanic *skurf- (source also of Danish skurv, Middle Dutch scorf, Dutch schurft, Old High German scorf, German Schorf "scurf"), probably related to Old English sceorfan "to gnaw," scearfian "to cut into shreds" (from PIE *skerp-, from root *sker- (1) "to cut").

-y (2)

adjective suffix, "full of or characterized by," from Old English -ig, from Proto-Germanic *-iga- (source also of Dutch, Danish, German -ig, Gothic -egs), from PIE -(i)ko-, adjectival suffix, cognate with elements in Greek -ikos, Latin -icus (see -ic). Originally added to nouns in Old English; used from 13c. with verbs, and by 15c. even with other adjectives (for example crispy).

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Definitions of scruffy

scruffy (adj.)

shabby and untidy; "he was soiled and seedy and fragrant with gin"- Mark Twain;

a surge of ragged scruffy children

Synonyms: seedy

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near scruffy

scrotum

scrounge

scrub

scrubby

scruff

scruffy

scrum

scrumptious

scrunch

scruple

scrupulous