scathe

Meaning

Noun

1. Damage, harm, hurt, injury.
2. Someone who, or something which, causes harm; an injurer.
3. (obsolete) An injury or loss for which compensation is sought in a lawsuit; damage; also, expenses incurred by a claimant; costs.
4. Something to be mourned or regretted.

Verb

1. To harm or injure (someone or something) physically.
2. (obsolete) To harm or injure (someone or something) physically.
3. To harm, injure, or destroy (someone or something) by fire, lightning, or some other heat source; to blast; to scorch; to wither.
4. To severely hurt (someone's feelings, soul, etc., or something intangible) through acts, words spoken, etc.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/skeɪð/

Etymology

From Middle English scath, scathe [and other forms], from Old Norse skaði (“damage, harm; loss; death; murder”), from Proto-Germanic *skaþô (“damage, scathe; one who causes damage, injurer”, noun) (whence Old English sċeaþa, sċeaþu (“scathe, harm, injury”)), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)keh₁t- (“damage, harm”).
cognates
* Scots skaith
* Dutch schade
* German schaden
* Norwegian skade
* Swedish skada
* Icelandic skaði
* Polish szkoda
* Russian шко́да (škóda)
* Belarusian шко́дa (škóda)
* Ukrainian шко́да (škóda)