TOP

Definition of scramble noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

scramble

noun
 
/ˈskræmbl/
 
/ˈskræmbl/
jump to other results

    difficult walk/climb

  1. [singular] a difficult walk or climb over rough ground, especially one in which you have to use your hands
    • A scramble over the rocks takes you to the most perfect of beaches.
    Extra Examples
    • an undignified scramble down the slope
    • It was a stiff two-hour walk, followed by a difficult scramble over slimy rock faces.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • desperate
    • frantic
    • mad
    preposition
    • in a/​the scramble
    • scramble down
    • scramble over
    See full entry
  2. push/fight

  3. [singular] scramble (for something) a situation in which people push, fight or compete with each other in order to get or do something synonym free-for-all
    • There was a mad scramble for the best seats.
    • When the manager retired, there was a scramble for his job.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • desperate
    • frantic
    • mad
    preposition
    • in a/​the scramble
    • scramble down
    • scramble over
    See full entry
  4. motorcycle race

  5. [countable] a race for motorcycles over rough ground
  6. Word Originlate 16th cent.: imitative; compare with the dialect words scamble ‘stumble’ and cramble ‘crawl’.
See scramble in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Other results

All matches
perspective
noun
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 3000
B2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day