ENGLISH
REFERENCE

scribble

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈskɹɪbəɫ// UK //skɹˈɪbəl// scrib·ble Archaic

n. a quick, messy mark or a short note written in a hurry. You use this when you want to describe writing that is not neat or clear.

n. a quick, untidy mark or a brief, hurried note. Often used to describe handwriting that lacks legibility or formal structure.


SIMPLE

He left a scribble on the mirror for his wife.

CONTEXTUAL

The detective found a mysterious scribble on the back of the envelope that looked like a phone number.

COMPLEX

The margins of the manuscript were filled with a series of illegible scribbles, likely representing the author's last-minute thoughts before the final print run.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English scribblen, scriblen, scryblen, scribelen, equivalent to scribe + -le (frequentative suffix).

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