scramble
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Related to scramble: unscramble
scram·ble
(skrăm′bəl)v. scram·bled, scram·bling, scram·bles
v.intr.
1. To move or climb hurriedly, especially on the hands and knees.
2. To struggle or contend frantically in order to get something: scrambled for the best seats.
3. To take off with all possible haste, as to intercept enemy aircraft.
4. Football
a. To run around with the ball behind the line of scrimmage in order to avoid being tackled while searching for an open receiver.
b. To run forward with the ball when unable to complete an intended pass play. Used of a quarterback.
5. Linguistics To move to another position in a syntactic structure, as for emphasis. Used of phrases or other syntactic constituents.
v.tr.
1. To mix or throw together haphazardly.
2. To gather together in a hurried or disorderly fashion.
3. To cook (beaten eggs) until firm but with a soft consistency.
4. Electronics To distort or garble (a signal) so as to render it unintelligible without a special receiver.
5. To cause (aircraft) to take off as fast as possible, as to intercept enemy aircraft.
n.
1. The act or an instance of scrambling.
2. An arduous hike or climb over rough terrain.
3. A struggle for something: a scramble for new territory.
4. Sports See motocross.
5. A swift takeoff of military aircraft in response to an alert or attack.
[Perhaps blend of obsolete scamble, to struggle for, and dialectal cramble, to crawl.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
scramble
(ˈskræmbəl)vb
1. (intr) to climb or crawl, esp by using the hands to aid movement
2. (intr) to proceed hurriedly or in a disorderly fashion
3. (often foll by: for) to compete with others, esp in a disordered manner: to scramble for a prize.
4. (foll by: through) to deal with hurriedly and unsystematically
5. (tr) to throw together in a haphazard manner; jumble
6. (tr) to collect in a hurried or disorganized manner
7. (Cookery) (tr) to cook (eggs that have been whisked up with milk and seasoning) in a pan containing a little melted butter
8. (Military) military to order (a crew or aircraft) to take off immediately or (of a crew or aircraft) to take off immediately
9. (Telecommunications) (tr) to render (speech) unintelligible during transmission by means of an electronic scrambler
n
10. the act of scrambling
11. a climb over rocks that involves the use of the hands but not ropes, etc
12. a disorderly struggle, esp to gain possession
13. (Military) military an immediate preparation for action, as of crew, aircraft, etc
14. (Automotive Engineering) Brit a motorcycle rally in which competitors race across rough open ground
[C16: blend of scrabble and ramp]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
scram•ble
(ˈskræm bəl)v. -bled, -bling,
n. v.i.
1. to climb or move quickly using one's hands and feet, as down a rough incline.
2. to compete or struggle with others for possession or gain.
3. to move hastily and with urgency.
4. (of pilots or aircraft) to take off quickly to intercept enemy planes.
v.t. 5. to collect or organize (things) in a hurried or disorderly manner.
6. to mix together confusedly.
7. to cause to move hastily.
8. to fry (eggs) while constantly stirring together whites and yolks.
9. to make (a radio or telephonic message) incomprehensible to interceptors by systematically changing the transmission frequencies.
10. to mix the elements of (a TV signal) so that only subscribers with a decoding box can receive the signal.
11. to cause (an intercepting aircraft or pilot) to take off as quickly as possible.
n. 12. a quick climb or progression over rough, irregular ground.
13. a struggle for possession or gain.
14. any disorderly or hasty struggle.
15. a quick emergency takeoff of an intercepting aircraft.
[1580–90; b. dial. scamble to stumble along, and scrabble]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
scramble
An order directing takeoff of aircraft as quickly as possible, usually followed by mission instructions.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.
Scramble
a confused or disorderly event.Examples: scramble of the world, 1839; a scramble of Tories, 1839; motorcycle scramble (race meeting).
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
scramble
Past participle: scrambled
Gerund: scrambling
Imperative |
---|
scramble |
scramble |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | ![]() |
2. | ![]() | |
Verb | 1. | ![]() go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" |
2. | scramble - climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling climb - move with difficulty, by grasping | |
3. | scramble - bring into random order tumble - throw together in a confused mass; "They tumbled the teams with no apparent pattern" | |
4. | ![]() cookery, cooking, preparation - the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat; "cooking can be a great art"; "people are needed who have experience in cookery"; "he left the preparation of meals to his wife" cream - make creamy by beating; "Cream the butter" | |
5. | scramble - make unintelligible; "scramble the message so that nobody can understand it" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" unscramble - make intelligible; "Can you unscramble the message?" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
scramble
verb
1. struggle, climb, clamber, push, crawl, swarm, scrabble, move with difficulty He scrambled up a steep bank.
2. strive, rush, contend, vie, run, push, hasten, jostle, jockey for position, make haste More than a million fans are expected to scramble for tickets.
noun
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
scramble
verb1. To move or climb hurriedly, especially on all fours:
2. To put into total disorder:
Slang: snafu.
Idiom: play havoc with.
A lack of order or regular arrangement:
chaos, clutter, confusedness, confusion, derangement, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, jumble, mess, mix-up, muddle, muss, topsy-turviness, tumble.
Slang: snafu.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
scramble
[ˈskræmbl]A. VI
1. to scramble up/down → subir gateando/bajar con dificultad
to scramble out → salir con dificultad
we scrambled through the hedge → nos abrimos paso con dificultad a través del seto
to scramble for [+ coins, seats] → luchar entre sí por, pelearse por (fig) [+ jobs] → pelearse por
to scramble out → salir con dificultad
we scrambled through the hedge → nos abrimos paso con dificultad a través del seto
to scramble for [+ coins, seats] → luchar entre sí por, pelearse por (fig) [+ jobs] → pelearse por
B. VT
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
scramble
(ˈskrӕmbl) verb1. to crawl or climb quickly, using arms and legs. They scrambled up the slope; He scrambled over the rocks.trepar, escalar
2. to move hastily. He scrambled to his feet.precipitarse
3. (with for) to rush, or struggle with others, to get. The boys scrambled for the ball.pelearse por, luchar entre sí por
4. to distort (a telephone message etc) so that it can only be received and understood with a special receiver. cifrar, codificar
noun (sometimes with for) an act of scrambling; a rush or struggle. There was a scramble for the best bargains.lucha, pelea, confusión, barullo
ˈscrambler noun a device for scrambling telephone messages. emisor de interferencias
scrambled egg(s) beaten eggs cooked with milk and butter until thick. huevos revueltos
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.