scrum
n. countablen. a situation where a group of people push and crowd together to get something. It can also mean a specific way players restart play in a game of rugby.
n. a situation involving a dense, disorderly crowd of people; in rugby, a method of restarting play where players from each team pack together with heads down and push against each other.
There was a scrum at the bar as everyone tried to order drinks.
Journalists formed a tight scrum around the minister, shouting questions as she tried to reach her car.
The referee ordered a scrum after the ball was knocked forward, requiring the forwards to bind together and compete for possession in a test of collective strength.
Either a back-formation from or an apocopic form of scrummage, a variant of scrimmage.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used metaphorically to describe any chaotic or crowded situation where people are competing for space or attention.
Last updated May 7, 2026