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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scrap(e, Scraip(e, v. Also: skra(i)p, screape, screp, skrep, schrape, schraip. [ME and e.m.E. skrape(n (Manning), scrape(n (Chaucer), also schreapen, schrapen (both Ancr. R.), f. OE scrapian to scratch or f. ON skrapa to scrape, erase. Cf. MDu. schrapen.]

1. To remove (something) (from a surface) or put (something) aside by the action of scraping. a1400 Leg. S. xxix 519.
Ȝet wes lewit hym [sc. Job] a schele To schrape his scabbis 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 25.
Of this scraped from the stone it groweth on, they make the lit 1666 Rothesay B. Rec. 122.
He scraippit with his hand the wat beir asyde

b. tr. To scratch out or erase (a word or passage of writing). Also transf. to remove (a person's name, memory, etc.) from a record. Also absol.(1) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1277.
To scraip [Bann. skraip] out Johne, and wryte in Will or Wat 1513 Doug. Conscience 14.
Syn eftir that sciens began to payr … The sci away fast can thay rub and scraip 1599 Lett. Jas. VI to Eliz. 130.
My name is … skraiped out of the texte but well retained in the glosse or comentarie 1581 Hamilton Facile Tr. in Cath. Tr. (STS) 231/5.
The Caluinian ministers … hes corruptit this salutation of the angel be thair fals translations in their Scottis Bible, screpping out the wordis ‘ful of grace’ Ib. 233/31.
The ministers adulters this scripture be thair Scottis translation, screpand out thir wordis [etc.] Ib. (1600) 89. 1605 Dundonald Par. Rec. 77.
That scho left the testament … vnalterit … and that hir yongest brother … gaif it to hir again deleitit and scraipit out as it ves 1610 Cramond Ch. Aberdour 8.
Nine lynes … scraipit out(2) a1578 Pitsc. I 100/11.
His memorie [was] abollist and scrapit out of the book of armes for ewer a1599 Rollock Wks. I 420.
Moses sall never be scraped out of the buik of God 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 440.
Nothing can scrap thy name out of the book of life(3) 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
absol. Abolische or Scraip away

c. transf. or fig. To erase or eradicate (a belief, fault, etc.). 1590-1 R. Bruce. Serm. 106.
This … judgement … bydis sa sure … within you, that … thou sall never get it scraped out of thy saull Ib. 107.
It is not possible to get this fear hailelie scraped out 1635 Dickson Wr. 100.
If thou scrape not out of thy heart the love of sin, thou shalt never read thy name written in the book of life truly

2. To clean or abrade (a surface). 1582 Misc. Stair Soc. I 114.
It is writtin upone new parchement and to mak the wryting seme auld the parchement is all scrapit and … blekkit 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 1 Oct.
A knyf to screape the trunschers

b. fig. To deprive (a person) almost completely of his possessions, etc. 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 27.
His fatheris tennentis, as thocht they had been alswa part of hir conquerit boty, scho sa scrapit, till scho brocht thame in a maner to extreme beggarie

3. Chiefly of birds or animals: a. To remove (something) (out of the ground, etc.) by scratching with the feet or claws; to scratch (the ground), also, of a person, to rub or scratch (a surface) with the hands; to make (a hole) by scratching or scraping. b. absol. or intr. To search for food by scratching with the feet or claws; also in fig. context. c. intr. To scratch or scrape.a. (1) a1500 Henr. Fab. 740.
Now man I [sc. the fox] scraip my meit out off the sand Ib. 1750.
With our naillis [sc. the lark and the swallow] scharp and small Out off the eirth scraip [Bann. schraip] we ȝone seid a1585 Maitl. Q. 243/19.
I wes lyik the hen that skrepis the knyfe(2) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8476.
Rauins … Scraipand the eird 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 106.
The seiknes … wes turnit into a horrable furie … that scho … scrapit the wall with hir handis(3) a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 493.
He is a proud tod quho wil not scraip his awin holl 1613 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. V 47.
Scho … skrappit the hoill at the watter sydeb. a1500 Henr. Fab. 68.
Ane cok … To get his dennar … Scraipand [Bann. Screpand] amang the as … He fand [etc.] Ib. 92.
I had leuer go skraip [Makc. schraip] heir with my naillis Amangis this mow and luke my lifys fude Ib. 1850.
To scraip [Bann. schraip] and seik thair meit thay [sc. birds] maid thame boun Ib. 1853.
Into that calf scraip quhill ȝour naillis bleid, Thair is na corne Ib. 1917.
Thir hungrie birdis wretchis we may call Ay scraipand in this warldis vane plesance Ib. 1928.
Wretchis in this warldis calf [Bann. wrak] dois scraipc. 1494 Loutfut MS 23a.
And quhen he [sc. the stork] sentit hir he scrapit with his neb a gret space and schew that he wes richt crabbit

d. ? To search, scavenge. 1578 Glasgow B. Rec. I 69.
That the haill myddynis be remowit of the hie gait, and that nane scraip on the hie gait

e. To scrape at. ? To attack (a person) with the fingernails, to scratch at, or ? erron. for Scrip v., to mock, jeer. 15.. Christis Kirk 28 (B).
Scho skornit Jok and skraipit [M. scrippit] at him

f. To scrape out (furth) to dig out, remove by digging or scraping. 1513 Doug. xi v 63.
The assys deip … Doun dyd thai cast, and scrapis owt atanys The hait amyrris and the byrslyt banys 1549 Compl. 12/27.
For ane hen that seikis hyr meyt in the mydding may scraipe sa lang amang the fyltht quhil sche scraip furtht sum ald knyfe that hes been tynt 1613 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. V 47.
To skraip out hir said murthurit bairne out of the grave quhair it presentlie lyis

g. tr. fig. To amass (wealth) by exaction or oppression. Cf. sense 2 b. a1568 Scott i 65.
Thai [supra wickit pastouris] brocht thair bastardis with the skrufe thai skraip To blande thair blude with barrownis be ambitioun