scramble

Origin uncertain. Compare earlier dialectal scramb (“pull with hands”) and scrabble (“to scrape or scratch quickly”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈskɹæmbl̩/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -æmbəl

scramble (third-person singular simple present scrambles, present participle scrambling, simple past and past participle scrambled)

1. (intransitive) To move hurriedly to a location, especially by using all limbs against a surface.
   • 2012 April 18, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona”, in BBC Sport‎:

     As half-time approached Fabregas had another chance to give Barcelona the lead. He collected an incisive Messi pass and this time beat Cech, who required Cole to scramble back and clear the ball off the line.

   • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 3

     When I saw the coffin I knew that I was respited, for, as I judged, there was space between it and the wall behind enough to contain my little carcass; and in a second I had put out the candle, scrambled up the shelves, half-stunned my senses with dashing my head against the roof, and squeezed my body betwixt wall and coffin.

2. (intransitive) To proceed to a location or an objective in a disorderly manner.
3. (transitive, of food ingredients, usually including egg) To thoroughly combine and cook as a loose mass.

   I scrambled some eggs with spinach and cheese.

4. (transitive) To process (telecommunication signals) to make them unintelligible to an unauthorized listener.
5. (transitive, military) To quickly deploy (vehicles, usually aircraft) to a destination in response to an alert, usually to intercept an attacking enemy.
6. (intransitive, sports) To partake in motocross.
7. (intransitive) To ascend rocky terrain as a leisure activity.
8. (transitive) To gather or collect by scrambling.

   to scramble up wealth

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Marlowe to this entry?)

9. To struggle eagerly with others for something thrown upon the ground; to go down upon all fours to seize something; to catch rudely at what is desired.
   • Milton

     Of other care they little reckoning make, / Than how to scramble at the shearer's feast.

• scrambled eggs

scramble (plural scrambles)

1. A rush or hurry, especially making use of the limbs against a surface.

   a last-minute scramble to the finish line

2. (military) An emergency defensive air force mission to intercept attacking enemy aircraft.
   • 1984, Steve Harris, "Aces High", Iron Maiden, Powerslave.

     There goes the siren that warns of the air raid / Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak / Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne / Got to get up for the coming attack.

3. A motocross race.
4. Any frantic period of competitive activity.
   • 2011 January 8, Chris Bevan, “Arsenal 1 – 1 Leeds”, in BBC Sport‎:

     And the Leeds defence, led by the impressive Alex Bruce, was also in determined mood. Jonathan Howson had to clear a Sebastien Squillaci effort off his line and Becchio was also in the right place to hack clear after a goalmouth scramble.

   • 2014 October 21, Oliver Brown, “Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years – sport afforded no protection against his tragic fallibilities: Bladerunner's punishment for killing Reeva Steenkamp is but a frippery when set against the burden that her bereft parents, June and Barry, must carry [print version: No room for sentimentality in this tragedy, 13 September 2014, p. S22]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Sport)‎:

     [I]n the 575 days since [Oscar] Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, there has been an unseemly scramble to construct revisionist histories, to identify evidence beneath that placid exterior of a pugnacious, hair-trigger personality.

• sortie

• pedestrian scramble
• scramble band
• tofu scramble

scramble

1. (Britain) Shouted when something desirable is thrown into a group of people who individually want that item, causing them to rush for it.

• cambrels, clambers, scambler