scribble1
/ˈskrɪb(ə)l
/verb [with object]
1Write or draw (something) carelessly or hurriedly: he took the clipboard and scribbled something illegible (as adjective scribbled) scribbled notes [no object]: hastily he scribbled in the margin...
- When we got back he'd managed to scribble a few lines in his notebook with his dud hand.
- Gabrielle was furiously scribbling down what she was saying when she heard another boys' voice in her ear.
- He sat there the whole period grunting to himself and scribbling furiously in his notebooks.
Synonyms
write hurriedly, write untidily, write illegibly, scratch, scrawl, doodle, dash off, jot (down)
1.1 [no object] informal Write for a living or as a hobby: they scribbled, potted, and painted...
- She scribbles frantically on sheets of paper, then hunts through desk drawers for more writing material.
- To her writing was something she loved to do - she never cared whether she won plaudits from critics, she was happy to scribble whenever a story came to her.
- I'm sure many of my colleagues are frantically scribbling away on their bestsellers in their spare time.
noun
A piece of writing or a picture produced carelessly or hurriedly: illegible scribbles [mass noun]: the postman would never be able to decipher your scribble...
- Inspired by notes and scribbles already on the pages, Byron commenced a program of drawing, painting and collage.
- As is characteristic of Johns's graphic work of this time, the drawings feature freehand scribbles, carefully limned curves, erasures and tonal blurring.
- Before that I made these dream journals and they were filled with poetry and scribbles.
Synonyms
illegible handwriting, hurried handwriting, untidy handwriting, squiggle(s), jottings
rare cacography
Derivatives
scribbly
- Drawn with a relaxed ink line, scribbly shading and a mix of watercolour and gouache, the book has the slightly muted and nostalgic tones of early comics and dated toy packaging.
- At least, I assume that the scribbly zigzag line is Tony's signature and not something the bookshop asked one of their junior staff to forge.
- With a nearly unreadable signature (everyone knew his scribbly writing anyway), Jerry signed his name and anxiously took his seat at the back of the room, polishing his silver-painted tuba.
Origin
Late Middle English: from medieval Latin scribillare, diminutive of Latin scribere 'write'.
Rhymes
scribble2
/ˈskrɪb(ə)l/verb [with object] (often as noun scribbling)
Card (wool, cotton, etc.) coarsely: machinery used for scribbling and spinning...
- The first set of papers is the diary, from 1808 to 1814, of Joseph Rogerson, who ran a mill to which the clothiers brought their wool to be scribbled and prepared for spinning.
- Afterwards it is oiled with Gallipoli oil, scribbled, carded, slabed, and spun.
- It derives its name from Scribbling Herse, a frame on which the cloth when first made was stretched in order that it might be scribbled.
Origin
Late 17th century: probably from Low German; compare with German schrubbeln (in the same sense), frequentative of Low German schrubben 'to scrub'.