From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishscourscour /skaʊə $ skaʊr/ verb [transitive] 1 LOOK FORto search very carefully and thoroughly through an area, a document etcscour something for something Her family began to scour the countryside for a suitable house.2 (also scour out)DHC to clean something very thoroughly by rubbing it with a rough material SYN scrub Ada was scouring out the pans.3 (also scour out)HE to form a hole by continuous movement over a long period Over the years, the stream had scoured out a round pool in the rock.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
scour• She scours flea markets and will either repair her purchases or leave them, depending on the extent of the damage.• I rotated the nails so that a cheese paring of wax was scoured from the surface of the drum.• He caught a towel and, dragging his helmet off, scoured his face and his neck.• Potato starch, rather than harmful chemicals, is being used for scouring in the finishing process.• Last night Skegness lifeboat and a number of coastal rescue teams were scouring six miles of shoreline.• In similar lessons in all sorts of schools, the students go on to scour textbooks and library books for more facts.• A team of detectives is scouring the area for the murder weapon.• Scour the bowl with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda.• Developers are scouring the country for possible sites for these new superstores.• That means either scouring the nation for a candidate of lesser renown, or hiring from within.• He spent half an hour scouring the newspaper for any mention of the fire.• I scoured the pots and pans.• Rescue teams scoured the ruins for signs of more victims.• Forensic scientists have scoured the scene but have not come up with any conclusive evidence.Origin scour 1. (1400-1500) Probably from a Scandinavian language. 2. (1100-1200) Probably from Middle Dutch schuren, from Old French escurer, from Late Latin excurare “to clean off”, from Latin cura “care” 