noun Uncommon

scarecrow

SKEH-uhk-roh

Scarecrow (noun) means a figure made to look human, dressed in old clothes and set up in a field to frighten birds away from crops. Example: “The farmer propped a scarecrow up among the cornstalks.”

noun

A figure made to look human, dressed in old clothes and set up in a field to frighten birds away from crops.

"The farmer propped a scarecrow up among the cornstalks."

A very thin, awkward, or raggedly dressed person.

"After the illness he looked like a scarecrow."

How to use scarecrow

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA stuffed, human-shaped figure in a field meant to keep birds away — or, informally, a thin, ragged-looking person.

Common pairings

straw scarecrow scarecrow in the field

Word forms

scarecrowed past tense, scarecrows plural, scarecrows singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The farmer propped a _____ up among the cornstalks.

Etymology

Formed from "scare" plus "crow," since its original purpose was to scare crows off farmland.

Synonyms

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bird-scarer crow scarer crowkeeper frayboggard gallicrow gallybagger malkin mammet potato-bogle scare-beggar scare-the-birds

Related words

cat crowkeeper malkin mammet

Frequently asked questions

What does “scarecrow” mean?

The word “scarecrow” means a figure made to look human, dressed in old clothes and set up in a field to frighten birds away from crops. In plain terms, a stuffed, human-shaped figure in a field meant to keep birds away — or, informally, a thin, ragged-looking person.

How do you pronounce “scarecrow”?

“Scarecrow” is pronounced SKEH-uhk-roh (/ˈskɛɚˌkɹoʊ/ in IPA).

How do you use “scarecrow” in a sentence?

Here is “scarecrow” used in a sentence: “The farmer propped a scarecrow up among the cornstalks.”

What is another word for “scarecrow”?

Words with a similar meaning to “scarecrow” include bird-scarer, crow scarer, crowkeeper, frayboggard, gallicrow and gallybagger.

What part of speech is “scarecrow”?

“Scarecrow” is a noun.

Is “scarecrow” a common word?

“Scarecrow” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “scarecrow” have?

“Scarecrow” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a figure made to look human, dressed in old clothes and set up in a field to frighten birds away from crops.

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