scrabble
scrabble — 名詞
1. a trademarked board game where players take turns placing letter tiles on a squa
拼字牌
在方格板上拼字的品牌桌遊
a trademarked board game where players take turns placing letter tiles on a square grid to create words, with each letter having a different point value used for scoring.
Isabela and Jin stayed up late playing Scrabble on a rainy Friday night.
下雨的星期五晚上，Isabela 和 Jin 玩 Scrabble 玩到很晚。
collocation: play Scrabble
The letter Z is worth ten points in Scrabble because it rarely appears in words.
字母 Z 在 Scrabble 裡值十分，因為它出現的單字很少。
passive: be worth [number] points
Vikram won the school Scrabble tournament by learning short words with two letters.
Vikram 靠背誦短雙字母單字，贏得了學校的 Scrabble 比賽。
Niran's grandmother keeps a travel-sized Scrabble set in her handbag for long train journeys.
Niran 的祖母把一組旅行用 Scrabble 放在手提包裡，方便坐長途火車時玩。
文法句型
play + Scrabble
Scrabble + noun (set, board, tournament)
用法筆記
This sense is a trademarked brand name and is always capitalised. In everyday conversation, people often say 'let's play Scrabble' as if it were a regular game name.
scrabble — 動詞
1. to use your fingertips to search hurriedly inside a confined space such as a bag
摸索；亂摸
用手四處找看不見的東西
to use your fingertips to search hurriedly inside a confined space such as a bag or pocket, looking for an object that is out of sight.
Mathieu scrabbled in his coat pocket for a tissue while his nose was running.
Mathieu 流著鼻涕，在大衣口袋裡亂摸找衛生紙。
scrabble + in [container] + for [object]
The old woman scrabbled through her handbag for her reading glasses before the bus came.
那位老太太在手提包裡翻找老花眼鏡，要在公車來之前找到。
scrabble through [container]
Maja scrabbled around under the sofa cushions for the TV remote control.
Maja 在沙發墊子下面四處摸索，想找電視遙控器。
In the dark hallway, Darius scrabbled along the wall, trying to locate the light switch.
在黑暗的走廊裡，Darius 沿著牆壁摸索，試圖找到電燈開關。
文法句型
scrabble + for/in/through/around + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with 'for' (the thing sought), 'in/through' (the container or space being searched), or 'around' (general movement). Commonly used in contexts where vision is not available (darkness, clutter, or urgency).
常見錯誤
2. to try urgently to get something that is limited in supply, often by acting fast
爭搶
急忙爭取有限的東西
to try urgently to get something that is limited in supply, often by acting faster or more aggressively than other people.
Small local shops scrabbled for a share of the growing organic food market.
小型在地商店爭搶著有機食品市場的份額。
scrabble for [resource]
With only fifty tickets left, fans scrabbled to buy them online before the website crashed.
門票只剩五十張，粉絲們爭相在網站當機前搶購。
scrabble + to-infinitive
After the factory closed, workers scrabbled to find new jobs in other towns.
工廠關閉後，工人們爭相到其他城鎮找新工作。
Families scrabbled for seats in the crowded waiting room of the clinic.
許多家庭在擁擠的候診室裡爭搶座位。
文法句型
scrabble + for + noun phrase
scrabble + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (GROPE FOR), this sense does not involve physical searching by touch. Instead, it describes a competitive rush for limited resources. The subject is often a group of people or organisations, not an individual acting alone.
常見錯誤
3. to climb or move quickly and a bit carelessly over a rough or steep surface, usi
攀爬；亂爬
用手腳倉促攀爬陡峭表面
to climb or move quickly and a bit carelessly over a rough or steep surface, using your hands and feet for support.
The children scrabbled up the rocky hillside to reach the old watchtower before sunset.
孩子們爬上岩石密布的山坡，趕在日落前抵達古老的瞭望塔。
scrabble up [surface]
Hamza scrabbled over the garden wall when he heard his brother calling.
Hamza 翻過花園的圍牆，因為他聽到哥哥在叫他。
scrabble over [obstacle]
The neighbour's cat scrabbled up the tree, trying to reach a bird on a high branch.
鄰居的貓爬上樹，想要抓住在高枝上的鳥。
Naoko scrabbled down the muddy bank to pull the small boat back onto the shore.
Naoko 爬下泥濘的河岸，把小船拉回岸邊。
文法句型
scrabble + up/over/down/along + noun phrase
用法筆記
The surface is typically uneven, steep, or slippery — walls, slopes, banks, or trees. The direction is always specified (up, over, down, along). Distinguished from sense 4 (CLUMSY STRUGGLE) by the clear goal of reaching or crossing a location, rather than a general desperate movement.
4. to make clumsy or desperate movements with your hands, feet, or body, often scra
亂抓；掙扎
笨拙地抓扒或掙扎
to make clumsy or desperate movements with your hands, feet, or body, often scratching or scraping against a surface, because you are trying to get free, reach something, or keep your balance.
The injured bird scrabbled against the ground, trying to lift itself back into the air.
受傷的鳥兒在地上亂抓，試圖讓自己重新飛起來。
scrabble against [surface]
Christopher scrabbled at the locked window, his fingernails scratching the old wooden frame.
Christopher 在鎖住的窗戶上亂抓，指甲刮著舊木框。
scrabble at [something]
When the ladder tipped sideways, Zayd scrabbled wildly to find a foothold on the wall.
梯子往旁邊一歪，Zayd 拼命亂抓，想找個踏腳的地方。
The dog scrabbled at the back door, eager to be let into the warm kitchen.
那隻狗在後門上又抓又扒，急著想進溫暖的廚房。
文法句型
scrabble + at/against + noun phrase
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (GROPE FOR): sense 1 is about fingers searching for an unseen object in a container or space. Sense 4 is broader — it involves more of the body, often against a hard surface, and the motion is clumsy or desperate rather than exploratory. Common in descriptions of animals or people in distress.
5. to write something quickly and without care, producing messy or hard-to-read han
亂寫；草寫
匆忙潦草地書寫
to write something quickly and without care, producing messy or hard-to-read handwriting, usually because you are in a hurry.
Maeve scrabbled a quick note on a napkin before the train left the platform.
Maeve 在火車駛離月臺前，匆匆在紙巾上寫了一張便條。
scrabble + noun phrase (note/message)
The journalist scrabbled down the minister's quotes in her notebook during the press conference.
那位記者在記者會上，匆匆在筆記本裡記下部長的引言。
scrabble down [information]
Quan scrabbled the delivery address on scrap paper and handed it to the courier.
Quan 把送貨地址草草寫在廢紙上，交給快遞員。
Salma scrabbled a shopping list on a piece of paper while talking on the phone.
Salma 一邊講電話，一邊在紙上潦草地寫購物清單。
文法句型
scrabble + noun phrase (note/message/letter)
scrabble + down/out + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is less common than 'scribble' or 'scrawl'. In modern British English it appears mainly in informal writing or narratives about hurried note-taking. The object is usually a short piece of writing (note, address, message), not a long document.