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Scratch vs. Nick — What's the Difference?

Scratch vs. Nick — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Scratch and Nick

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Scratch

Score or mark the surface of (something) with a sharp or pointed object
He scratched at a stain on his jacket
The car's paintwork was battered and scratched

Nick

Nick is a masculine given name. It is also often encountered as a short form (hypocorism) of the given names Nicholas, Nicola, Nicolas, Nikola, Nicolai or Nicodemus.

Scratch

Cancel or strike out (writing) with a pen or pencil
The name of Dr McNab was scratched out and that of Dr Dunstaple substituted

Nick

A small cut or notch
A small nick on his wrist

Scratch

Play a record using the scratch technique.
He raps and scratches simultaneously to dazzling effect
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Nick

Prison
He'll end up in the nick for the rest of his life

Scratch

A mark or wound made by scratching
The scratches on her arm were throbbing

Nick

The junction between the floor and side walls in a squash court or real tennis court.

Scratch

A technique, used especially in rap music, of stopping a record by hand and moving it back and forwards to give a rhythmic scratching effect
A scratch mix

Nick

Make a nick or nicks in
He had nicked himself while shaving

Scratch

(in sport) the starting point in a race for a competitor that is not given a handicap or advantage
A 631-metres handicap, when the excellent stayer, Too Fast, will be off scratch

Nick

Steal
She nicked fivers from the till

Scratch

Money
He was working to get some scratch together

Nick

Arrest (someone)
Stuart and Dan got nicked for burglary

Scratch

Assembled or made from whatever is available, and so unlikely to be of the highest quality
City were fielding a scratch squad

Nick

Go quickly or surreptitiously
They nicked across the road

Scratch

(of a sports competitor or event) with no handicap given
He was a scratch player at many courses

Nick

A shallow notch, cut, or indentation on an edge or a surface
Nicks in the table.
Razor nicks on his chin.

Scratch

To make a thin shallow cut or mark on (a surface) with a sharp instrument.

Nick

Chiefly British Slang A prison or police station.

Scratch

To use the nails or claws to dig or scrape at.

Nick

(Printing) A groove down the side of a piece of type used to ensure that it is correctly placed.

Scratch

To rub or scrape (the skin) to relieve itching.

Nick

To cut a nick or notch in.

Scratch

To scrape or strike on an abrasive surface.

Nick

To cut into and wound slightly
A sliver of glass nicked my hand.

Scratch

To write or draw (something) by scraping a surface
Scratched their initials on a rock.

Nick

To cut short; check
Nicked an impulse to flee.

Scratch

To write or draw hurriedly
Scratched off a thank-you note.

Nick

(Slang) To cheat, especially by overcharging.

Scratch

To strike out or cancel (a word, for example) by or as if by drawing lines through.

Nick

To steal.

Scratch

(Slang) To cancel (a project or program, for example).

Nick

To arrest.

Scratch

To withdraw (an entry) from a contest or competition
The jockey decided to scratch the horse when it sprained its ankle.

Nick

A small cut in a surface.

Scratch

To withdraw an entry from (a contest or competition)
Having won three races already, the swimmer scratched her final event.

Nick

A particular place or point considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment.
In the nick of time

Scratch

To use the nails or claws to dig, scrape, or wound.

Nick

A notch cut crosswise in the shank of a type, to assist a compositor in placing it properly in the stick, and in distribution.

Scratch

To rub or scrape the skin to relieve itching.

Nick

Senses connoting something small.

Scratch

To make a harsh scraping sound.

Nick

(cricket) A small deflection of the ball off the edge of the bat, often going to the wicket-keeper for a catch.

Scratch

To gather funds or produce a living with difficulty.

Nick

(genetics) One of the single-stranded DNA segments produced during nick translation.

Scratch

To withdraw from a contest or competition.

Nick

The point where the wall of the court meets the floor.

Scratch

(Games) To make a shot in billiards that results in a penalty, as when the cue ball falls into a pocket or jumps the cushion.

Nick

Often in the expressions in bad nick and in good nick: condition, state.
The car I bought was cheap and in good nick.

Scratch

A mark resembling a line that is produced by scratching.

Nick

A police station or prison.
He was arrested and taken down to Sun Hill nick [police station] to be charged.
He’s just been released from Shadwell nick [prison] after doing ten years for attempted murder.

Scratch

A slight wound.

Nick

(Internet) nickname
A user’s reserved nick on an IRC network

Scratch

A hasty scribble.

Nick

(archaic) A nix or water]] spirit.

Scratch

A sound made by scratching.

Nick

(transitive) To make a nick or notch in; to cut or scratch in a minor way.
I nicked myself while I was shaving.

Scratch

(Sports) The starting line for a race.

Nick

(transitive) To make ragged or uneven, as by cutting nicks or notches in; to deface, to mar.

Scratch

A contestant who has been withdrawn from a competition.

Nick

To make a crosscut or cuts on the underside of (the tail of a horse, in order to make the animal carry it higher).

Scratch

The act of scratching in billiards.

Nick

To fit into or suit, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.

Scratch

A fluke or chance shot in billiards.

Nick

To hit at, or in, the nick; to touch rightly; to strike at the precise point or time.

Scratch

Poultry feed.

Nick

To hit the ball with the edge of the bat and produce a fine deflection.

Scratch

(Slang) Money.

Nick

To throw or turn up (a number when playing dice); to hit upon.

Scratch

Done haphazardly or by chance.

Nick

To make a cut at the side of the face.

Scratch

Assembled hastily or at random.

Nick

To steal.

Scratch

(Sports) Having no golf handicap.

Nick

To arrest.
The police nicked him climbing over the fence of the house he’d broken into.

Scratch

To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.
Could you please scratch my back?

Nick

To give or call (someone) by a nickname; to style.

Scratch

To rub the skin with rough material causing a sensation of irritation; to cause itching.
I don't like that new scarf because it scratches my neck.

Nick

An evil spirit of the waters.

Scratch

To irritate someone's skin with one's unshaven beard when kissing.

Nick

A notch cut into something

Scratch

To mark a surface with a sharp object, thereby leaving a scratch (noun).
A real diamond can easily scratch a pane of glass.

Nick

A broken or indented place in any edge or surface; as, nicks in a china plate; a nick in the table top.

Scratch

(of a surface) to get such scratches
This platter scratches easily.

Nick

A particular point or place considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment.
To cut it off in the very nick.
This nick of time is the critical occasion for the gaining of a point.

Scratch

To cross out, strike out, strike through some text on a page.

Nick

To make a nick or nicks in; to notch; to keep count of or upon by nicks; as, to nick a stick, tally, etc.

Scratch

Hence, to remove, ignore, or delete.
Scratch what I said earlier; I was wrong.
When the favorite was scratched from the race, there was a riot at the betting windows.

Nick

To mar; to deface; to make ragged, as by cutting nicks or notches in; to create a nick{2} in, deliberately or accidentally; as, to nick the rim of a teacup.
And thence proceed to nicking sashes.
The itch of his affection should not thenHave nicked his captainship.

Scratch

(music) To produce a distinctive sound on a turntable by moving a vinyl record back and forth while manipulating the crossfader (see also scratching).

Nick

To suit or fit into, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.
Words nicking and resembling one another are applicable to different significations.

Scratch

(billiards) To commit a foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.
Embarrassingly, he scratched on the break, popping the cue completely off the table.

Nick

To hit at, or in, the nick; to touch rightly; to strike at the precise point or time.
The just season of doing things must be nicked, and all accidents improved.

Scratch

To score, not by skillful play but by some fortunate chance of the game.

Nick

To make a cross cut or cuts on the under side of (the tail of a horse, in order to make him carry it higher).

Scratch

To write or draw hastily or awkwardly; scrawl.

Nick

To nickname; to style.
For Warbeck, as you nick him, came to me.

Scratch

(ambitransitive) To dig or excavate with the claws.
Some animals scratch holes, in which they burrow.

Nick

An impression in a surface (as made by a blow)

Scratch

To dig or scrape (a person's skin) with claws or fingernails in self-defense or with the intention to injure.
The cat scratched the little girl.

Nick

A small cut

Scratch

To announce one's non-participation in a race or sports event part of a larger sports meeting that they were previously signed up for, usually in lieu of another event at the same meeting.

Nick

Cut slightly, with a razor;
The barber's knife nicked his cheek

Scratch

A disruption, mark or shallow cut on a surface made by scratching.
I can’t believe there is a scratch in the paint already.
Her skin was covered with tiny scratches.

Nick

Cut a nick into

Scratch

An act of scratching the skin to alleviate an itch or irritation.
The dog sat up and had a good scratch.

Nick

Divide or reset the tail muscles of;
Nick horses

Scratch

(sports)

Nick

Mate successfully; of livestock

Scratch

A starting line (originally and simply, a line scratched in the ground), as in boxing.

Scratch

A technical error of touching or surpassing the starting mark prior to the official start signal in the sporting events of long jump, discus, hammer throw, shot put, and similar. Originally the starting mark was a scratch on the ground but is now a board or precisely indicated mark.

Scratch

(cycling) The last riders to depart in a handicap race.

Scratch

(billiards) An aberration.

Scratch

(horse racing) A horse withdrawn from a race prior to the start.
There were two scratches in race 8, which reduced the field from 9 horses to 7.

Scratch

(meiosis) An injury.
It's just a scratch!

Scratch

(slang) Money.

Scratch

A feed, usually a mixture of a few common grains, given to chickens.

Scratch

(in the plural) Minute, but tender and troublesome, excoriations, covered with scabs, upon the heels of horses which have been used where it is very wet or muddy.

Scratch

A scratch wig.

Scratch

(music) A genre of Virgin Islander music, better known as fungi.

Scratch

Scrawled or illegible handwriting; chicken scratch.

Scratch

For or consisting of preliminary or tentative, incomplete, etc. work.
This is scratch paper, so go ahead and scribble whatever you want on it.

Scratch

Hastily assembled, arranged or constructed, from whatever materials are to hand, with little or no preparation

Scratch

(computing) Relating to a scratchpad, a data structure or recording medium attached to a machine for testing or temporary use.
Scratch memory

Scratch

(sports) (of a player) Of a standard high enough to play without a handicap, i.e. to compete without the benefit of a variation in scoring based on ability.

Scratch

To rub and tear or mark the surface of with something sharp or ragged; to scrape, roughen, or wound slightly by drawing something pointed or rough across, as the claws, the nails, a pin, or the like.
Small sand-colored stones, so hard as to scratch glass.
Be mindful, when invention fails,To scratch your head, and bite your nails.

Scratch

To write or draw hastily or awkwardly.

Scratch

To cancel by drawing one or more lines through, as the name of a candidate upon a ballot, or of a horse in a list; hence, to erase; to efface; - often with out.

Scratch

To dig or excavate with the claws; as, some animals scratch holes, in which they burrow.

Scratch

To use the claws or nails in tearing or in digging; to make scratches.
Dull, tame things, . . . that will neither bite nor scratch.

Scratch

To score, not by skillful play but by some fortunate chance of the game.

Scratch

A break in the surface of a thing made by scratching, or by rubbing with anything pointed or rough; a slight wound, mark, furrow, or incision.
The coarse file . . . makes deep scratches in the work.
These nails with scratches deform my breast.
God forbid a shallow scratch should driveThe prince of Wales from such a field as this.

Scratch

A line across the prize ring; up to which boxers are brought when they join fight; hence, test, trial, or proof of courage; as, to bring to the scratch; to come up to the scratch.

Scratch

Minute, but tender and troublesome, excoriations, covered with scabs, upon the heels of horses which have been used where it is very wet or muddy.

Scratch

A kind of wig covering only a portion of the head.

Scratch

A shot which scores by chance and not as intended by the player; a fluke.

Scratch

In various sports, the line from which the start is made, except in the case of contestants receiving a distance handicap.

Scratch

Made, done, or happening by chance; arranged with little or no preparation; determined by circumstances; haphazard; as, a scratch team; a scratch crew for a boat race; a scratch shot in billiards.

Scratch

An abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off

Scratch

A depression scratched or carved into a surface

Scratch

Informal terms for money

Scratch

Dry mash for poultry

Scratch

A harsh noise made by scraping;
The scrape of violin bows distracted her

Scratch

Poor handwriting

Scratch

An indication of damage

Scratch

Cause friction;
My sweater scratches

Scratch

Cut the surface of; wear away the surface of

Scratch

Scrape or rub as if to relieve itching;
Don't scratch your insect bites!

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