▪ I. scritch, n. arch.
(skrɪtʃ)
Also 6 skrych, 6–7 scrich, skrich, 7 skritch.
[See the vb.]
A screech, shriek, loud cry.
| 1513 More in Hall's Chron. Rich. III (1550) 4 b, With pitefull scriches she repleneshyd the hole mancion. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. I. 560 Monstrous skritches are heard round about this mountaine. 1635 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Banish'd Virg. 190 Gave she not her selfe over to scritches and cries. 1797 Coleridge Christabel i. xvii, Perhaps it is the owlet's scritch. 1833 Tennyson ‘My life is full’ 20 Sudden scritches of the jay. a 1963 S. Plath in Atlantic Monthly (1968) Sept. 59/1, I hear..water sloshing, the scritch of a comb in frizzled hair. |
| † Comb. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis iv. (Arb.) 120 Up to the sky staring, with belling skrichcrye she roareth. |
▪ II. scritch, v. arch.
(skrɪtʃ)
Forms: 3, 6–7 scrich, 4 skriche, 6 skritche, 6–7 skrich, 6– scritch.
[Onomatopœic: cf. skrike, shriek vbs.]
intr. To utter a loud cry, screech, shriek.
| a 1250 Owl & N. 223 (Jesus MS.) Þu scrichest & yollest to þine fere, Þat hit is gryslich to ihere. 13.. Seuyn Sag. (W.) 1290 Loude he gan to crie and skriche [rime diche]. 1566 Painter Pal. Pleas. I. 45 She cried out, and all her maides skriched with her. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia v. (1598) 441 Then would she imagine..she heard the cries of hellish ghosts, then would she skritch out for succour. 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 99 With a shril voice he suddenly scritch'd out. 1652 Gaule Magastrom. 181 The pyes chattering about the house, the owles scritching. 1840 Browning Sordello ii. 458 Only let..the hungry curlew chance to scritch Or serpent hiss it, rustling through the rift, However loud, however low. 1944 W. de la Mare Coll. Rhymes & Verses 70 Down to the shore skipped Lallerie, His parrot on his thumb, And the twain they scritched in mockery. 1957 H. Nicolson Journey to Java v. 88 The evening breeze stirs the tree above us and we hear the keel birds scritching. |
Hence ˈscritching vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1592 Nashe Strange Newes F 1, Like a scritching night⁓owle. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 314 Then began their sorrowes afresh, with pitious scriching and teares. 1626 Bacon Sylva §700 Squeaking or skriching Noise. Ibid. §713 Feare causeth Palenesse;..Starting; and Skritching. 1648 Gage West Ind. 155 This is a very rude sport, and full of scrieching and hideous noise. 1888 Doughty Arab. Des. I. 305 We heard scritching owls sometimes in the still night. |