Scrap vs. Scrape — What's the Difference?

Waste material, especially metal, that can be recycled.

To rub or cause damage to a surface through friction.

Scrap metal has a significant recycling market.

Barely managing or achieving something.

Scrap material may need scraping to remove rust or old paint.

Removing unwanted material, like paint or wallpaper.

Leftover pieces from projects, like fabric or wood.

A minor injury caused by scraping skin against a rough surface.

To end or discard a plan or project.

Involves removing material from scrap for repurposing.

Scrap consists of recyclable materials left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has monetary value, especially recovered metals, and non-metallic materials are also recovered for recycling.

To remove (an outer layer, for example) from a surface by forceful strokes of an edged or rough instrument

A small piece or amount of something, especially one that is left over after the greater part has been used

To abrade or smooth by rubbing with a sharp or rough instrument.

Discarded metal for reprocessing

To rub (a surface) with considerable pressure, as with an edged instrument or a hard object.

A fight or quarrel, especially a minor or spontaneous one

To draw (a hard or abrasive object) forcefully over a surface

Discard or remove from service (a redundant, old, or inoperative vehicle, vessel, or machine), especially so as to convert it to scrap metal

To injure the surface of by rubbing against something rough or sharp

Engage in a minor fight or quarrel

To amass or produce with difficulty

A small piece or bit; a fragment.

To come into sliding, abrasive contact.

Scraps Leftover bits of food.

To rub or move with a harsh grating noise.

Discarded waste material, especially metal suitable for reprocessing.

To give forth a harsh grating noise.

Scraps Crisp pieces of rendered animal fat; cracklings.

To economize or save money by paying attention to very small amounts; scrimp.

A fight or scuffle.

To succeed or manage with difficulty

To break down into parts for disposal or salvage

The act of scraping.

To discard or abandon as useless; cancel

The sound of scraping.

To fight, usually with the fists.

An abrasion on the skin.

A (small) piece; a fragment; a detached, incomplete portion.

An embarrassing or difficult predicament.

The smallest amount.

A fight; a scuffle.

Leftover food.

(ambitransitive) To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure.

The crisp substance that remains after drying out animal fat.

(transitive) To remove (something) by drawing an object along in this manner.

(uncountable) Discarded objects (especially metal) that may be dismantled to recover their constituent materials, junk.scrap [4]

(transitive) To injure or damage by rubbing across a surface.

A piece of deep-fried batter left over from frying fish, sometimes sold with chips.

(transitive) To barely manage to achieve.

(uncountable) Loose-leaf tobacco of a low grade, such as sweepings left over from handling higher grades.

(transitive) To collect or gather, especially without regard to the quality of what is chosen.

A Hispanic criminal, especially a Mexican or one affiliated with the Sureno gang.

(computing) To extract data by automated means from a format not intended to be machine-readable, such as a screenshot or a formatted web page.

(obsolete) A snare for catching birds.

(intransitive) To occupy oneself with getting laboriously.

A fight, tussle, skirmish.

(ambitransitive) To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or similar instrument.

(transitive) To discard.

(intransitive) To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow].

To stop working on indefinitely.

To express disapprobation of (a play, etc.) or to silence (a speaker) by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; usually with down.

(intransitive) To scrapbook; to create scrapbooks.

A broad, shallow injury left by scraping (rather than a cut or a scratch).

(transitive) To dispose of at a scrapyard.

(slang) A fight, especially a fistfight without weapons.

(transitive) To make into scrap.

An awkward set of circumstances.

To fight

A D and C or abortion; or, a miscarriage.

Something scraped off; hence, a small piece; a bit; a fragment; a detached, incomplete portion.

A shallow depression used by ground birds as a nest; a nest scrape.

Specifically, a fragment of something written or printed; a brief excerpt; an unconnected extract.

(military) A shallow pit dug as a hideout.

The crisp substance that remains after drying out animal fat; as, pork scraps.

A shave.

Same as Scrap iron, below.

Cheap butter.

A small fragment of something broken off from the whole;

Butter laid on bread in the thinnest possible manner, as though laid on and scraped off again.

Worthless material that is to be disposed of

(heraldry) A diminutive of the bend (especially of the bend sinister) which is half its width.

A small piece of something that is left over after the rest has been used;

To rub over the surface of (something) with a sharp or rough instrument; to rub over with something that roughens by removing portions of the surface; to grate harshly over; to abrade; to make even, or bring to a required condition or form, by moving the sharp edge of an instrument breadthwise over the surface with pressure, cutting away excesses and superfluous parts; to make smooth or clean; as, to scrape a bone with a knife; to scrape a metal plate to an even surface.

The act of fighting; any contest or struggle;

To remove by rubbing or scraping (in the sense above).

Dispose of (something useless or old);

To collect by, or as by, a process of scraping; to gather in small portions by laborious effort; hence, to acquire avariciously and save penuriously; - often followed by together or up; as, to scrape money together.

Have a disagreement over something;

To express disapprobation of, as a play, or to silence, as a speaker, by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; - usually with down.

Make into scrap or refuse;

To rub over the surface of anything with something which roughens or removes it, or which smooths or cleans it; to rub harshly and noisily along.

Disposed of as useless;

To occupy one's self with getting laboriously; as, he scraped and saved until he became rich.

To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or like instrument.

To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow.

The act of scraping; also, the effect of scraping, as a scratch, or a harsh sound; as, a noisy scrape on the floor; a scrape of a pen.

A drawing back of the right foot when bowing; also, a bow made with that accompaniment.

A disagreeable and embarrassing predicament out of which one can not get without undergoing, as it were, a painful rubbing or scraping; a perplexity; a difficulty.

A harsh noise made by scraping;

An abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off

A deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility);

An indication of damage

Scratch repeatedly;

Make by scraping;

Cut the surface of; wear away the surface of

Bend the knees and bow in a servile manner

Gather (money or other resources) together over time;

Bruise, cut, or injure the skin or the surface of;

Strike against an object;

Yes, scrap, especially metals, can have significant value in recycling markets where it's reused in manufacturing.

Depending on the surface, you might need to repair or repaint it, or in the case of a personal injury, clean and bandage the scrape.

Assess the material's condition and potential functionality; if it's in good shape or can be refurbished, it might be reused rather than discarded.

Recycling is the most environmentally friendly option for dealing with scrap, especially metals, reducing the need for new raw materials.

Scraping can be both intentional, like when removing paint, or accidental, as in the case of scraping a knee.

Scrapping a plan means completely abandoning it, while scraping by refers to barely managing or achieving something with minimal resources.

Scrap materials can be repurposed through creative projects, like art or DIY home decor, or recycled, particularly in the case of metals.

Businesses can profit by selling scrap materials to recyclers or repurposing them in creative ways to reduce waste and manufacturing costs.

Yes, scraping old paint or rust is often a necessary step in restoring furniture, vehicles, or other items to their original condition.

Most metals can be recycled and considered scrap, but their value and recyclability may vary based on type, condition, and local recycling capabilities.