Wiktionary

score

See also: scoré

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English score, skore, schore, from Old English scoru (“notch; tally; score”), from Old Norse skor, from Proto-Germanic *skurō (“incision; tear; rift”), which is related to *skeraną (“to cut”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“cut”). Cognate with Icelandic skora, Swedish skåra, Danish skår. Related to shear.

For the sense “twenty”: The mark on a tally made by drovers for every twenty beasts passing through a tollgate.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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score (plural scores)

English numbers (edit)
 ←  10 20
2[a], [b]
    Cardinal: twenty
    Ordinal: twentieth
    Adverbial: twenty times
    Multiplier: twentyfold
    Germanic collective: score
  2. The total number of goals, points, runs, etc. earned by a participant in a game.
    The player with the highest score is the winner.
  3. The number of points accrued by each of the participants in a game, expressed as a ratio or a series of numbers.
    The score is 8-1 even though it's not even half-time!
  4. The performance of an individual or group on an examination or test, expressed by a number, letter, or other symbol; a grade.
    The test scores for this class were high.
  5. Twenty (20).
    Some words have scores of meanings.
    • 1863 November 19, Abraham Lincoln, Dedicatory Remarks (Gettysburg Address)‎[1], near Soldiers' National Cemetery, →LCCN, Bliss copy, page 1:
      Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
    • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 152:
      I went on trying for fish along the western bank down the river, but only small trout rose at my flies, and a score was the total catch.
    1. A distance of twenty yards, in ancient archery and gunnery.
    2. A weight of twenty pounds.
  6. (often in the plural) A great deal; many, several.
  7. (gambling) An amount of money won in gambling; winnings.
    • 2013, Arnold Snyder, Big Book of Blackjack:
      Use a few “introductory plays” to become known to a casino before you go for a big score.
  9. (music) The written form of a musical composition showing all instrumental and vocal parts.
  10. (music) The music of a movie or play.
    • 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:
      Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
  11. A subject.
    • 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 245e:
      Well, although we haven't discussed the views of all those who make precise reckonings of being and not [being], we've done enough on that score.
  12. An account; a reason; a motive; a sake; a behalf.
  13. A notch or incision; especially, one that is made as a tally mark; hence, a mark, or line, made for the purpose of account.
  14. An account or reckoning; account of dues; bill; debt.
  15. (US, slang, crime) A criminal act, especially:
    1. A robbery.
      Let's pull a score!
      • 2022, Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, The Batman:
        Batman: Dangerous crowd you're stealing from.
        Catwoman: Jesus. Is this how you get your kicks, hon? Sneaking up on girls in the dark?
        Batman: Is that why you work in the club? It was all just a score?
    2. A bribe paid to a police officer.
    3. An illegal sale, especially of drugs.
      He made a big score.
    4. A prostitute's client.
  16. (originally US, vulgar, slang) A sexual conquest.
    • 1976, William C. Thomas, Cat Murkil and the Silks, spoken by Punch:
      Ah, who gives a shit? The only score I'm interested in is the one I might make if some foxy chicks start pilin' outta there.
  17. (UK, regional) In the Lowestoft area, a narrow pathway running down a cliff to the beach.
    • 1975, John Seymour, The Companion Guide to the Coast of North-east England, page 206:
      Above the harbour, steeply up the hill, run The Bolts, narrow stepped passages, equivalent of The Scores of Lowestoft and The Rows of Great Yarmouth.

Usage notes

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  • As a quantity, a score is counted as any other unit: ten score, twelve score, fourteen score, etc. (or tenscore, twelvescore). There is no word for 202; rather, twenty score is used, and twice that forty score.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Terms derived from score (noun)

Translations

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Verb

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score (third-person singular simple present scores, present participle scoring, simple past and past participle scored)

  1. (transitive) To cut a notch or a groove in a surface.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
      A very neat old woman, still in her good outdoor coat and best beehive hat, was sitting at a polished mahogany table on whose surface there were several scored scratches so deep that a triangular piece of the veneer had come cleanly away, […].
    The baker scored the cake so that the servers would know where to slice it.
  2. (intransitive) To record the tally of points for a game, a match, or an examination.
  3. (transitive, intransitive) To obtain something desired.
    1. To earn points in a game.
      It is unusual for a team to score a hundred goals in one game.
      Pelé scores again!
      • 2011 September 29, Jon Smith, “Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers”, in BBC Sport‎[2]:
        And White Hart Lane was stunned when Rovers scored just five minutes after the restart in front of their away following.
    2. To achieve academic credit on a test, quiz, homework, assignment, or course.
      • 2004, Diane McGuinness, Early reading instruction: what science really tells us about how to teach reading:
        At the end of first grade, the children scored 80 percent correct on this test, a value that remained unchanged through third grade.
      • 1996 March 5, Mike Judge, “Substitute”, in Beavis and Butthead, season 6, episode 18, Mr. Van Driessen (actor):
        No, Butthead, that's my point. You didn't score. You got a zero.
    3. (gambling) To win money by gambling.
      • 2005, Shannon Nash, For the Love of Money, page 215:
        […] he scored big by hitting the jack pot at the Bellagio (he won $7,000). The next day, he won $15,000 on the nickel machines at the Palm Casino!
    4. (slang) To acquire or gain.
      • 1971, Jagger–Richards, Marianne Faithfull (lyrics and music), “Sister Morphine”, in Sticky Fingers, performed by The Rolling Stones:
        What am I doing in this place? / Why does the doctor have no face? / Oh, I can't crawl across the floor / Ah, can't you see, Sister Morphine, I'm trying to score
      • 1975, Andy Mackay, Bryan Ferry (lyrics and music), “Love Is the Drug”, performed by Roxy Music:
        I jump up, bubble up, what's in store? / Love is the drug and I need to score
      I scored some drugs last night.
      Did you score tickets for the concert?
    5. (US, crime, slang, of a police officer) To extract a bribe.
    6. (vulgar, slang) To obtain a sexual favor.
      Chris finally scored with Pat last week.
      • 1982, “Prowlin'”, in Domenic Bugatti, Frank Muskeer, Christopher Cerf (lyrics), Grease 2:
        Gotta find a chick who'll give you more / Well, there's a spot that I've discovered / Where a guy's guaranteed to score
  4. (transitiveb) To rate; to evaluate the quality of.
    Critics scored the game 92%.
    • 2007, Cross-Cultural Urban Design: Global or Local Practice?, page 197:
      this was the case for most students, who scored it highly (medians of 4 with many scores of 5)
  5. (transitive, music, film) To provide (a film, etc.) with a musical score.
    • 1974, New York Magazine, volume 7, number 45, page 98:
      Godfather II is nothing like ready. It is not yet scored, and thus not mixed. There remain additional shooting, looping, editing.
    • 2023 August 10, Adrian Horton, “Robbie Robertson, member of the Band, dies at age 80”, in The Guardian, UK:
      Robertson scored several of Scorsese’s films, including Raging Bull, Casino, The Wolf of Wall Street and The Irishman.

Conjugation

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Conjugation of score
infinitive (to) score
present tense past tense
1st-person singular score scored
2nd-person singular score, scorest† scored, scoredst†
3rd-person singular scores, scoreth† scored
plural score
subjunctive score scored
imperative score —
participles scoring scored

†Archaic or obsolete.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • →⇒ Irish: scóráil

Translations

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Interjection

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score

  1. (US, slang) An acknowledgement of success.

See also

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References

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Anagrams

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Danish

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English score.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /skoːrə/, [ˈsɡ̊oːɐ]

Noun

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score c (singular definite scoren, plural indefinite scorer)

  1. A score, a number of points earned.

Declension

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Declension of score
common
gender 		Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative score scoren scorer
scores 		scorerne
genitive scores scorens scorers
scores' 		scorernes

Verb

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score

  1. score a goal/point
  2. land (to acquire; to secure)
  3. (slang) steal
  4. persuade (someone) to have sex with oneself [from 1959]

Conjugation

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Inflection of score
present past
simple scorer scorede
perfect har scoret havde scoret
passive scores scoredes
participle scorende scoret
imperative scor —
infinitive score —
auxiliary verb have —
gerund — —

Derived terms

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Dutch

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English score.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈskoː.rə/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: sco‧re

Noun

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score m (plural scores, diminutive scoretje n)

  1. score (number of points earned)

Derived terms

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French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English score.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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score m (plural scores)

  1. score (in a sport, game)

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • → Romanian: scor n

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old English scoru, from Old Norse skor, from Proto-Germanic *skurō.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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score (plural scores)

  1. score

Descendants

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References

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Norwegian Bokmål

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Via English score, from Old Norse skor. Related to Old Norse skera (modern Norwegian Bokmål skjære).

Noun

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score m (definite singular scoren, indefinite plural scorer, definite plural scorene)

  1. a score

Verb

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score (imperative scor, present tense scorer, passive scores, simple past and past participle scora or scoret, present participle scorende)

  1. to score (earn points in a game)

Derived terms

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References

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Norwegian Nynorsk

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English score. Doublet of skòr.

Noun

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score m (definite singular scoren, indefinite plural scorar, definite plural scorane)

  1. a score

Verb

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score (present tense scorar, past tense scora, past participle scora, passive infinitive scorast, present participle scorande, imperative score/scor)

  1. to score (earn points in a game)

References

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Spanish

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Etymology

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Unadapted borrowing from English score.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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score m (plural scores)

  1. (sports) score

Usage notes

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According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Yola

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Etymology

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From Middle English score, from Old English scoru.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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score

  1. score
    • 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1, page 94:
      An aar was a hundereth lauckeen vowre score.
      And there was a hundred, lacking four score;
    • 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 94:
      Aar was Parick o Dearmoth, an dhen score besidh,
      There was Patrick o Deormod, and ten score beside,
    • 1867, “DR. RUSSELL ON THE INHABITANTS AND DIALECT OF THE BARONY OF FORTH”, in APPENDIX, page 130:
      Th'ar was a hunnert, lackin a score,
      [There was a hundred, lacking a score,]

References

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  • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 94
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