noun

scarf

skahf

noun

A long piece of fabric worn around the neck, head, or shoulders for warmth or style.

"He wrapped a wool scarf around his neck against the cold."

"She wore a silk scarf tied loosely at her throat."

verb

(informal) To eat something very quickly.

"He scarfed down his lunch before the meeting started."

How to Use Scarf

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA strip of cloth worn around the neck, or, informally, to eat something fast.

When to use it

The "eat quickly" sense of scarf is informal, mostly used in casual speech.

Common pairings

wool scarf wrap a scarf scarf down food

Word Forms

scarfed past tense, scarfed past tense, scarfed past tense, scarves plural, scarfs plural, scarfs plural, scarfs plural, scarfs singular, scarfs singular, scarfs singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “scarf” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

He wrapped a wool _____ around his neck against the cold.

Etymology

Probably from Old Northern French escarpe, a bag or pouch carried by pilgrims around the neck.

Rhymes for scarf

arf barf dwarf wharf

See all rhymes for scarf →