scrawl

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Irregular, possibly illegible handwriting.
2. (countable, uncountable) A hastily or carelessly written note etc.
3. (countable, uncountable) Writing that lacks literary merit.
4. (countable, uncommon) A broken branch of a tree.
5. (countable, uncommon, uncountable) The young of the dog-crab.

Verb

1. (transitive) To write something hastily or illegibly.
2. (intransitive) To write in an irregular or illegible manner.
3. (intransitive) To write unskilfully and inelegantly.

Verb

To creep; crawl; to move slowly, with difficulty, fearfully, or stealthily.

Synonyms

scribble

scrabble

dash off

scratch

write

✍️

cacography

graffiti

chicken scratch

doodle

illegible handwriting

scratch off

scrawled writing

be not straight

draw lines

write very quickly

dash down

daub

fling off

graph

scribbling

squiggle

toss off

writing

Translations

griffonner

scarabocchiare

scarabocchio

kritzeln

garrapatear

Gekritzel

garabatear

gribouiller

griffonnage

rabiscar

schmieren

Klaue

Geschmiere

gargotejar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/skɹɔːl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: scraulen

In summary

Possibly from Middle English scraulen (“to spread out one's limbs; sprawl”), itself an alteration of spraulen (“to sprawl”) or craulen, crawlen (“to crawl”).
Alternatively, from scrall, a contraction of scrabble.