Origin uncertain. Perhaps from earlier dialectalscramble,scrammel(“to collect or rake together with the hands”), fromscramb(“to pull or scrape together with the hands”) +-le(frequentative suffix) (compareDutchschrammen(“to graze, brush, scratch”)); or alternatively from a nasalised form ofscrabble(“to scrape or scratch quickly”).
As half-time approached Fabregas had another chance to give Barcelona the lead. He collected an incisive Messi pass and this time beat Cech, who required Cole toscramble back and clear the ball off the line.
When I saw the coffin I knew that I was respited, for, as I judged, there was space between it and the wall behind enough to contain my little carcass; and in a second I had put out the candle,scrambled up the shelves, half-stunned my senses with dashing my head against the roof, and squeezed my body betwixt wall and coffin.
(intransitive) To proceed to a location or an objective in a disorderly manner.
(transitive, of food ingredients, usually including egg) To thoroughly combine and cook as a loose mass.
(transitive,military, also by extension) To quickly deploy (vehicles, usuallyaircraft) to a destination in response to an alert, usually tointercept an attackingenemy.
2024 May 1, “Network News: West Coast Railways runs 'Jacobite' with Mk 1 and Mk 2 combination”, inRAIL, number1008, page 9:
But on April 13 it 'scrambled' a rake of Mk 2s and dual-braked 'Black 5' 45212 to start its lucrative summer money-spinner two days later.
As the planesscrambled, four of his veterans went up: Tom Lanphier, Rex Barber, Joe Moore and Jim McLanahan. They had waited with other Lightnings at 30,000 feet and dived on a formation of eleven Zeroes far below, working in pairs.
They say we are a scatter'd nation: / I cannot tell, but we havescrambled up / More wealth by far than those that brag of faith.
(transitive) To struggle eagerly with others for something thrown upon the ground; to go down upon all fours to seize something; to catch rudely at what is desired.
Arush orhurry, especially making use of the limbs against a surface.
a last-minutescramble to the finish line
(military) An emergency defensiveair force mission to intercept attacking enemy aircraft.
1984, Steve Harris, "Aces High", Iron Maiden,Powerslave.
There goes the siren that warns of the air raid / Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak / Out for thescramble we've got to get airborne / Got to get up for the coming attack.
2011 January 8, Chris Bevan, “Arsenal 1 – 1 Leeds”, inBBC Sport[2]:
And the Leeds defence, led by the impressive Alex Bruce, was also in determined mood. Jonathan Howson had to clear a Sebastien Squillaci effort off his line and Becchio was also in the right place to hack clear after a goalmouthscramble.
2014 October 21, Oliver Brown, “Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years – sport afforded no protection against his tragic fallibilities: Bladerunner's punishment for killing Reeva Steenkamp is but a frippery when set against the burden that her bereft parents, June and Barry, must carry [print version: No room for sentimentality in this tragedy, 13 September 2014, p. S22]”, inThe Daily Telegraph (Sport)[3]:
[I]n the 575 days since[Oscar] Pistorius shot dead his girlfriendReeva Steenkamp, there has been an unseemlyscramble to construct revisionist histories, to identify evidence beneath that placid exterior of a pugnacious, hair-trigger personality.
(gridiron football) An impromptu maneuver or run by aquarterback, attempting to gainyardage or avoid beingtackled behind the line of scrimmage.
(golf) Astatistic used in assessing a player's short game, consisting of achip orputt from under 50 yards away that results in requiring one putt or less on thegreen.
(golf) A variant of golf in which each player in a team tees off on each hole, and the players decide which shot was best. Every player then plays their second shot from within a club length of where the best ball has come to rest, and the procedure is repeated until the hole is finished.
