scoff

English

WOTD – 14 March 2008

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /skɒf/
• (US) IPA^(key): /skɔːf/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /skɑːf/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: -ɒf

Etymology 1

From Middle English scof, skof, probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Old Norse skaup, Old Danish skof, Old Frisian skof (“insult, shame”), and Old High German scoph.

Noun

scoff (plural scoffs)

1. A derisive or mocking expression of scorn, contempt, or reproach.

   Synonyms: derision, ridicule; see also Thesaurus:ridicule

   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene vi], page 100, column 1:

     VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In open Market-place produc't they me, / To be a publique ſpectacle to all: / Here, ſayd they, is the Terror of the French, / The Scar-Crovv that affrights our Children ſo.

   • 1863, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “The Wher-wolf”, in The House by the Church-yard. […], volume III, London: Tinsley, Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 200:

     "I believe you've killed that constable in the exercise of his duty, sir; the man's dead;" said Lowe, sternly. / "Another gloss on my text; why invade me like house-breakers?" said Dangerfield, with a grim scoff.

   • 1852, The Dublin University Magazine, page 66:

     There were sneers, and scoffs, and inuendoes of some; prophecies of failure in a hundred ways […]

2. An object of scorn, mockery, or derision.
   • 1782, William Cowper, “Hope”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC:

     [T]he scoff of wither'd age and beardless youth […]

Translations

expression of derision

• Armenian: ծաղր (hy) (caġr)
• Bulgarian: подигравка (bg) f (podigravka), присмех (bg) m (prismeh)
• Finnish: pilkka (fi), iva (fi)
• French: dérision (fr) f, ridicule (fr) m, moquerie (fr) f
• German: Spott (de) m
• Indonesian: sindiran (id)
• Italian: scherno (it), derisione (it) f, verso (it) m, scorno (it) m, ridicolo (it) m
• Occitan: trufariá f, derision f, escòrna f, escarniment m
• Ottoman Turkish: لطیفه (latife)
• Romanian: batjocură (ro) f, bătaie de joc f, derâdere (ro) f
• Russian: насме́шка (ru) f (nasméška)

object of scorn, mockery, or derision

• Bulgarian: посмешище (bg) n (posmešište)
• Finnish: pilkan kohde
• Spanish: hazmerreír (es) m

Verb

scoff (third-person singular simple present scoffs, present participle scoffing, simple past and past participle scoffed)

1. (intransitive) To jeer; to laugh with contempt and derision.

   Synonym: sneer

   • 1770, [Oliver] Goldsmith, The Deserted Village, a Poem, London: […] W[illiam] Griffin, […], →OCLC:

     Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway, / And fools who came to scoff, remained to pray.

2. (transitive) To mock; to treat with scorn.

   Synonyms: contemn, deride

Translations

to jeer; laugh at with contempt and derision

• Bulgarian: присмивам се (prismivam se), подигравам се (podigravam se)
• Dutch: spotten (nl)
• Finnish: nauraa pilkaten, nauraa ivaten
• French: se gausser (fr), se moquer (fr), tourner en ridicule (fr)
• German: verlachen (de)
• Hungarian: kinevet (hu), kigúnyol (hu), gúnyolódik (hu)
• Icelandic: hæða, draga dár, gera gys
• Indonesian: menyindir (id)
• Italian: deridere (it), schernire (it), fare il verso, motteggiare (it)
• Latin: cavillor
• Maori: taunu, tāwai, aniani
• Occitan: se trufar, se garçar
• Romanian: batjocori (ro), ridiculiza (ro)
• Russian: насмехаться (ru) (nasmexatʹsja), осмеивать (ru) (osmeivatʹ)
• Spanish: burlarse (es), escarnecer (es), rebuznar (es)
• Welsh: gwawdio (cy), gwatwar (cy)

Etymology 2

A variant, attested since the mid 19th century, of scaff, of uncertain origin. Compare scarf (“eat quickly”).

Noun

scoff (countable and uncountable, plural scoffs)

1. (Newfoundland, South Africa and British Army slang) Food.
2. (slang) The act of eating.
   • 2016, Fearne Cotton, Cook Happy, Cook Healthy:

     Lunch for the busy has become a quick scoff of processed, terrifyingly orange couscous, […]

Translations

slang: food

• Finnish: mättö (fi), safka (fi)
• German: Fressalie f
• Italian: mangiare (it), cibaria f
• Romanian: haleală (ro) f, potol n

Verb

scoff (third-person singular simple present scoffs, present participle scoffing, simple past and past participle scoffed)

1. (British, Newfoundland, slang) To eat food quickly.

   Synonyms: gobble, (US) scarf

   • 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68:

     The numbers thin out the further we get from London, so I don't feel guilty when I remove my mask momentarily to scoff some of the snacks I'd bought at Marylebone.

2. (Newfoundland, South Africa and British Army slang) To eat.

Derived terms

• scoff down

 

Translations

to eat food quickly

• Bulgarian: лапам (bg) (lapam), нагъвам (bg) (nagǎvam)
• Dutch: schrokken (nl)
• Estonian: õgima
• Finnish: ahmia (fi)
• French: engloutir (fr)
• German: verschlingen (de)
• Hungarian: fal (hu), befal (hu), felfal (hu)
• Italian: trangugiare (it)
• Maori: kai hāporo, kaihorohoro, hāupaupa, ngūngū, kaihoro, horohororē, hāupaupa
• Romanian: hali (ro), înfuleca (ro)
• Russian: уплетать (ru) (upletatʹ), лопать (ru) (lopatʹ)
• Spanish: devorar (es), zampar (es)

to eat — see eat

See also

• scuff