scruff

Etymology 1
See.

Noun

 * 1) Someone with an untidy appearance.
 * 2) Stubble, facial hair (on males).
 * 3)  Crust.
 * 4)  Scurf.
 * 1)  Scurf.

Translations

 * Bulgarian: мърльо
 * Finnish:, epäsiisti henkilö
 * German:
 * Polish:, niedomytek, , , , , , ,
 * Spanish:

Etymology 2


1790, from earlier (1787), influenced by. Related to 🇨🇬 and 🇨🇬, from. Compare also 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬 (🇨🇬).

Noun

 * 1) The loose skin at the back of the neck of some animals.
 * 2)  The back of the neck, nape; also scruff of the neck.
 * He grabbed his unruly child by the scruff of the neck, and took him home.

Usage notes
Strictly refers to the loose skin at the back of the neck – found on many mammals, though not humans – rather than the back of the neck itself. While this distinction is not always observed, scruff is used almost exclusively in the phrase “to grab [someone/something] by the scruff [of the neck]”.

Translations

 * Bashkir: елкә
 * Finnish: niskanahka
 * Galician:
 * Icelandic: hnakkadramb
 * Norwegian:
 * Bokmål: nakkeskinn
 * Nynorsk: nakkeskinn
 * Portuguese:
 * Russian:
 * Spanish:
 * Swedish: nackskinnet


 * Bashkir: елкә
 * Bulgarian:
 * Catalan: clotell
 * Finnish: niskavillat
 * Galician:
 * German: ,
 * Russian:
 * Spanish:

Verb

 * 1)  To lift or carry by the scruff.