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Definition of "scum" []

  • A filmy layer of extraneous or impure matter that forms on or rises to the surface of a liquid or body of water. (noun)
  • The refuse or dross of molten metals. (noun)
  • Refuse or worthless matter. (noun)
  • Slang One, such as a person or an element of society, that is regarded as despicable or worthless. (noun)
  • To remove the scum from. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "scum" in a sentence
  • "But then again, sometimes scum is just scum and you have to ignore such remarks, wipe the scum from the bottom of your shoe and keep moving ahead."
  • ""That's what they call the scum, " Palma assured his longtime colleague."
  • "You don't think that "scum" is a useful agent in procreation, while the Daily Mail is an abuse of good sense and willfully lies and libels in billionaires 'interests, then?"