to scratch out a living

См. также в других словарях:

• scratch a living — phrase to manage to earn only just enough money to live The farmer somehow managed to scratch a living from the arid land. Thesaurus: to earn or to get moneysynonym to have just enough moneysynonym Main entry: scratch * * * scratch a li …   Useful english dictionary

• scratch — I. verb Etymology: Middle English scracchen, probably blend of scratten to scratch and cracchen to scratch Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. to scrape or dig with the claws or nails 2. to rub and tear or mark the surface of with something… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

• living — [[t]lɪ̱vɪŋ[/t]] ♦♦♦ livings 1) N COUNT: usu sing The work that you do for a living is the work that you do in order to earn the money that you need. Father never talked about what he did for a living... He earns his living doing all kinds of… …   English dictionary

• scratch — scratch1 [ skrætʃ ] verb * ▸ 1 rub with your nails ▸ 2 damage surface ▸ 3 produce noise ▸ 4 remove someone/something ▸ 5 decide not to do something ▸ 6 write something quickly ▸ + PHRASES 1. ) intransitive or transitive to pull your nails along… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

• scratch — scratch1 [skrætʃ] v ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(rub your skin)¦ 2¦(cut somebody s skin)¦ 3¦(make a mark)¦ 4¦(animals)¦ 5¦(remove something)¦ 6¦(remove writing)¦ 7¦(make a noise)¦ 8 scratch the surface 9 scratch your head 10¦(stop something happening)¦ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

• scratch — scratchable, adj. scratchably, adv. scratcher, n. scratchless, adj. scratchlike, adj. /skrach/, v.t. 1. to break, mar, or mark the surface of by rubbing, scraping, or tearing with something sharp or rough: to scratch one s hand on a nail. 2. to… …   Universalium

• scratch — I UK [skrætʃ] / US verb Word forms scratch : present tense I/you/we/they scratch he/she/it scratches present participle scratching past tense scratched past participle scratched * 1) [intransitive/transitive] to pull your nails along your skin,… …   English dictionary

• living — liv|ing1 [ lıvıŋ ] adjective count *** 1. ) usually before noun alive at the present time: He has no living relatives. She s arguably the sexiest living movie star. a ) the living all the people who are alive 2. ) only before noun living… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

• living — I UK [ˈlɪvɪŋ] / US adjective *** 1) a) [usually before noun] alive at the present time He has no living relatives. She s arguably the sexiest living film star. b) the living all the people who are alive 2) [only before noun] living creatures are… …   English dictionary

• scratch — ► VERB 1) make a long mark or wound on (a surface) with something sharp or pointed. 2) rub (a part of one s body) with one s fingernails to relieve itching. 3) (of a bird or mammal) rake the ground with the beak or claws in search of food. 4)… …   English terms dictionary

• scratch — /skrætʃ / (say skrach) verb (t) 1. to break or mark slightly by rubbing, scraping, or tearing with something sharp or rough. 2. to dig, scrape, or to tear (out, off, etc.) with the claws, the nails, etc. 3. to rub or scrape lightly with the… …