Scathe

Alternative forms

• scath dialectal or obsolete
• skaith, scaith Scotland

From Middle English scathe, from Old English sceaþa (also sceaþu) ("scathe, harm, injury"), from Proto-Germanic *skaþô ("damage, scathe"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kēt- ("damage, harm").

Full definition of scathe

Noun

1. Harm; damage; injury; hurt; misfortune.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /skeɪð/
• Rhymes: -eɪð

From Middle English scathen, skathen, from Old English sceaþan, scaþan ("to scathe, hurt, harm, injure") and Old Norse skaða ("to hurt"); both from Proto-Germanic *skaþōną ("to injure"). Cognate with Danish skade, German schaden, Swedish skada; compare Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽, Old Norse skeðja ("to hurt"). Compare Ancient Greek ἀσκηθής (askēthēs, "unhurt"), Albanian shkathët ("skillful, adept, clever"), Polish skaleczyć ("to hurt, scathe").

Verb

1. (archaic) To injure.
• MiltonAs when heaven's fire
  Hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines.
• Washington IrvingStrokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul.

Anagrams

• chaste, cheats, sachet, stache, taches