scathe

scathe
scathe (v.) c.1200, from O.N. skaða "to hurt, injure," from P.Gmc. *skath- (Cf. O.E. sceaþian "to hurt, injure," O.Fris. skethia, M.Du. scaden, Du. schaden, O.H.G. scadon, Ger. schaden, Goth. scaþjan "to injure, damage"), from PIE root *sket- "to injure." Only cognate outside Germanic seems to be in Gk. a-skethes "unharmed, unscathed." Survives mostly in its negative form, UNSCATHED (Cf. unscathed), and in figurative meaning "sear with invective or satire" (1852, usually as scathing) which developed from the sense of "scar, scorch" used by Milton in "Paradise Lost" i.613 (1667). Related: Scathingly.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • scathe — scathe·ful; scathe·less; scathe; scathe·less·ly; …   English syllables

  • Scathe — (sk[=a][th]; 277), Scath Scath (sk[a^]th; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Scathed} (sk[=a][th]d or sk[a^]tht); p. pr. & vb. n. {Scathing} (sk[=a][th] [i^]ng or sk[a^]th ).] [Icel. ska[eth]a; akin to AS. scea[eth]an, sce[eth][eth]an, Dan. skade, Sw.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • scathe — index damage, disable, harm (noun), harm (verb), lash (attack verbally), persecute Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • scathe — [skāth] vt. scathed, scathing [ME scathen < ON skatha < skathi, harm, akin to Ger schaden, to harm < IE base * skēth , to injure > Gr (a)skēthēs, (un)harmed] 1. Now Chiefly Dial. a) to injure b) to wither; sear 2. to denounce fierce …   English World dictionary

  • scathe — Scath Scath (sk[a^]th; 277), n. [Icel. ska[eth]i; akin to Dan. skade, Sw. skada, AS. scea[eth]a, sca[eth]a, foe, injurer, OS. ska[eth]o, D. schade, harm, injury, OHG. scade, G. schade, schaden; cf. Gr. askhqh s unharmed. Cf. {Scathe}, v.] Harm;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • scathe — [12] Scathe is now encountered virtually only in the negative form unscathed (first recorded in the 14th century), but originally it was a verb in its own right, meaning ‘harm’. It was borrowed from Old Norse skatha, which was descended from a… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • scathe — [12] Scathe is now encountered virtually only in the negative form unscathed (first recorded in the 14th century), but originally it was a verb in its own right, meaning ‘harm’. It was borrowed from Old Norse skatha, which was descended from a… …   Word origins

  • scathe — v. & n. v.tr. 1 poet. injure esp. by blasting or withering. 2 (as scathing adj.) witheringly scornful (scathing sarcasm). 3 (with neg.) do the least harm to (shall not be scathed) (cf. UNSCATHED). n. (usu. with neg.) archaic harm; injury (without …   Useful english dictionary

  • scathe|ful — «SKAYTH fuhl», adjective. Archaic. hurtful; harmful; injurious …   Useful english dictionary

  • scathe|less — «SKAYTH lihs», adjective. without harm; unhurt: »It is a game from which you will come out scatheless, but I have been scalded (Anthony Trollope). SYNONYM(S): uninjured, unharmed …   Useful english dictionary

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