See also: scoré

English edit

 
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Etymology edit

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 edit

Noun edit

score (plural scores)

English numbers (edit)
 ←  10  ←  19 20
2[a], [b], [c]
    Cardinal: twenty
    Ordinal: twentieth
    Adverbial: twenty times
    Multiplier: twentyfold
    Group collective: score
  1. The total number of goals, points, runs, etc. earned by a participant in a game.
    The player with the highest score is the winner.
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. (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.
  6. A distance of twenty yards, in ancient archery and gunnery.
  7. A weight of twenty pounds.
  8. (music) The written form of a musical composition showing all instrumental and vocal parts.
  9. (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.
  10. 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.
  11. Account; reason; motive; sake; behalf.
  12. A notch or incision; especially, one that is made as a tally mark; hence, a mark, or line, made for the purpose of account.
  13. An account or reckoning; account of dues; bill; debt.
  14. (US, crime, slang) 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.
  15. (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.
  16. (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 edit

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 edit

Derived terms edit

Terms derived from score (noun)

Translations edit

Verb edit

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. (transitive) 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 edit

Synonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • Irish: scóráil

Translations edit

Interjection edit

score

  1. (US, slang) Acknowledgement of success

See also edit

References edit

Anagrams edit

Danish edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from English score.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /skoːrə/, [ˈsɡ̊oːɐ]

Noun edit

score c (singular definite scoren, plural indefinite scorer)

  1. A score, a number of points earned.

Declension edit

Verb edit

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 edit

Derived terms edit

Dutch edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from English score.

Pronunciation edit

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

Noun edit

score m (plural scores, diminutive scoretje n)

  1. score (number of points earned)

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

French edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from English score.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

score m (plural scores)

  1. score (in a sport, game)

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • Romanian: scor n

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit

Middle English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

score (plural scores)

  1. score

Descendants edit

References edit

Norwegian Bokmål edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

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

Noun edit

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

  1. a score

Verb edit

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 edit

References edit

Norwegian Nynorsk edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from English score. Doublet of skòr.

Noun edit

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

  1. a score

Verb edit

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 edit

Spanish edit

Etymology edit

Unadapted borrowing from English score.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

score m (plural scores)

  1. (sports) score

Usage notes edit

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 edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English score, from Old English scoru.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

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 edit

  • 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