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Grease vs Scum - What's the difference?

grease | scum |

In obsolete terms the difference between grease and scum

is that grease is to cheat or cozen; to overreach while scum is to gather together, as scum.

As nouns the difference between grease and scum

is that grease is animal fat in a melted or soft state while scum is a layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water).

As verbs the difference between grease and scum

is that grease is to put grease or fat on something, especially in order to lubricate while scum is to remove the layer of scum from (a liquid etc.).

grease

English

(wikipedia grease)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Animal fat in a melted or soft state
  • (extension) Any oily or fatty matter.
  • Shorn but not yet cleansed wool
  • Inflammation of a horse's heels, also known as scratches or pastern dermatitis.
  • Synonyms

    * (animal fat) fat, lard

    Derived terms

    * dirty grease * elbow grease * grease-box * grease bush * grease gun / grease-gun * grease-monkey * grease moth * grease nipple * greasepaint / grease-paint * grease payment * greaseproof * greasewood * greasiness * greasy * the squeaky wheel gets the grease * greaseball

    Verb

    (greas)
  • To put grease or fat on something, especially in order to lubricate.
  • (informal) To bribe.
  • * Dryden
  • the greased advocate that grinds the poor
  • * {{quote-book, 2008, title=With Lyon in Missouri, author=Byron Archibald Dunn
  • , passage=Then you remember we greased him to the tune of five hundred.}}
  • * {{quote-book, 2009, title=GOG - an End Time Mystery, author=Dan Richardson
  • , passage=His employee status didn't entitle him to one, but Magdy on reception would slip him a key if Sabr greased him with a fifty.}}
  • (transitive, slang, aviation) To perform a landing extraordinarily smoothly.
  • ''To my amazement, I greased the landing despite the tricky crosswinds.
  • (slang) To kill, murder.
  • Fat cats who can't be greased by the mob's money are greased the hard way.
  • (obsolete) To cheat or cozen; to overreach.
  • (Beaumont and Fletcher)
  • To affect (a horse) with grease, the disease.
  • Synonyms

    * (put grease or fat on) lard * (slang for kill or murder) bump off, hit, whack

    Derived terms

    * greaser * grease the hand * grease the wheels * grease someone's palm

    Anagrams

    * * *

    scum

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (l)

    Noun

  • (uncountable) A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water).
  • (uncountable) A greenish water vegetation (such as algae), usually found floating on the surface of ponds
  • The topmost liquid layer of a cesspool or septic tank.
  • (uncountable, slang, chiefly US) semen
  • (countable, derogatory, slang) A reprehensible person or persons.
  • (countable, derogatory, slang) police officer(s)
  • Synonyms

    * (layer of impurities) dross, impurities * (layer of impurities on molten metal) cinder, scoriae, slag * (person considered reprehensible) bastard

    Verb

    (scumm)
  • To remove the layer of scum from (a liquid etc.).
  • To remove (something) as scum.
  • *1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , II.vii:
  • *:Some scumd the drosse, that from the metall came; / Some stird the molten owre with ladles great.
  • To become covered with scum.
  • *1769 , Elizabeth Raffald, The Experienced English House-keeper , pp.321-322:
  • *:Take the smallest Cucumbers you can get, and as free from Spots as possible, put them into a strong Salt and Water for nine or ten Days, or 'till they are quite Yellow, and stir them twice a Day at least, or they will scum over, and grow soft
  • (obsolete) To scour (the land, sea etc.).
  • *:
  • *:SOo by Merlyns aduys ther were sente fore rydars to skumme the Countreye / & they mette with the fore rydars of the north / and made hem to telle whiche wey the hooste cam / and thenne they told it to Arthur / and by kyng Ban and Bors counceill they lete brenne and destroye alle the contrey afore them there they shold ryde
  • *Milton
  • *:Wandering up and down without certain seat, they lived by scumming those seas and shores as pirates.
  • (obsolete) To gather together, as scum.
  • *1815 , Rudolf Ackerman and Frederic Shoberl, The Repository of Arts, Literature, Commerce, Manufactures, Fashions and Politics :
  • *:A great majority of the members are scummed together from the Jacobinical dregs of former periods of the revolution.
  • To startscum or savescum.
  • Anagrams

    * *