scum

CEFRC1

/skʌm/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A layer of dirt or unwanted material on a liquid.

  2. 02

    noun

    A contemptible person or group.

Examples

  • He's the scum of the earth. A waste of time.

  • You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A greenish water vegetation (such as algae), usually found floating on the surface of ponds

  2. The topmost liquid layer of a cesspool or septic tank.

  3. A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water).

More examples

In context

  • Stop right there, you criminal scum!

  • During smelting, scum rises to the surface and is then removed by the smelter.

  • People who sell used-up pens are scum, just total low-lives.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

After the storm, a thick layer of green blank floated on the stagnant pond water.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English scum, scome, skum, skome, scumme, from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch schūme (“foam”), from Old Dutch *scūm, from Frankish *skūm, from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover, conceal”). Cognate with Dutch schuim (“foam”), West Frisian skuum, German Schaum (“foam”), Danish and Swedish skum (“foam”). Compare also French écume (“scum”), Italian schiuma (“foam”), Saterland Frisian Skuum, Sicilian scuma (“foam”), Walloon schome (“scum, foam”), Lithuanian šamas (“catfish”) and skanus (“tasty”) from the same Germanic source. Related to skim.