scarf
gb/skˈɑɹf/ us/skˈɑɹf/
A2
English
~ 9900
sál, kendő, befal, behabzsol, sálkötéssel összetold, ferde lapolással összetold, sálkötés, ferde lapolás
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] wears a scarf
She wrapped a thick wool scarf around her neck before going outside.
Indulás előtt egy vastag gyapjúsálat tekert a nyaka köré.
He forgot his scarf and shivered all the way to work.
Otthon felejtette a sálját, és egész úton didergett munkába menet.
Many women in the region wear a light scarf over their hair.
I bought a bright red scarf to match my coat.
The wind was so strong that his scarf blew off into the street.
Learner examples
I put on a scarf because it is cold.
Sálat veszek fel, mert hideg van.
Her blue scarf looks very nice with that dress.
A kék sálja nagyon jól mutat azzal a ruhával.
He wears a scarf around his head in the sun.
Can I borrow your scarf for a minute?
My mother knit this scarf for me.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "scarf" with "shawl". A scarf is usually long and narrow and is mainly for the neck or head, while a shawl is wider and often covers the shoulders and upper body.
Meaning
long cloth worn on neck
Collocations
winter scarf
|wool scarf
|silk scarf
|head scarf
|wrap a scarf
|striped scarf
Synonyms
shawl (Usually wider and worn over the shoulders as well as around the neck or head.)
Antonyms
bare (Describes the neck or head with no covering, the opposite of wearing a scarf.)
Themes
daily life
|fashion
|weather
|clothing
|daily_life
Definition
A long piece of cloth that people wear around their neck or head to stay warm or look nice.
A long, narrow piece of cloth worn around the neck or head, usually for warmth, religious reasons, or as a fashion accessory.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
scarf [something] (down/up)
We only had ten minutes, so we scarfed our sandwiches down in the car.
Csak tíz percünk volt, ezért az autóban gyorsan befaltuk a szendvicseinket.
He came home from practice and scarfed an entire pizza by himself.
Edzés után hazajött, és egymaga befalt egy egész pizzát.
Everyone was so hungry that they scarfed up the snacks in a few minutes.
She scarfed down her dinner and ran back to her desk.
The kids scarfed the cookies so fast that I hardly got one.
Learner examples
He was very hungry and scarfed his food down.
Nagyon éhes volt, és gyorsan befalta az ételét.
They scarfed the cake in five minutes.
Öt perc alatt befalták a tortát.
She scarfed up the fries and licked her fingers.
We scarfed our lunch before the meeting.
I told him not to scarf his dinner so fast.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "scarf" as a verb in formal writing. This sense is informal; in formal contexts, use verbs like "eat quickly" or "devour" instead. Also, learners may omit the particle and say "scarf down it"; the natural order is "scarf it down".
Meaning
eat something very quickly
Collocations
scarf down lunch
|scarf a burger
|scarf it down
|scarf up the leftovers
|scarf my fries
Synonyms
devour (Slightly more formal and vivid; can sound more dramatic or literary than "scarf".)
Antonyms
savor (Means to eat slowly and with pleasure, the opposite of eating quickly and carelessly.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
To eat food very fast, usually because you are very hungry and do not think about manners.
To eat something very quickly and often in a greedy or careless way.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
scarf [two pieces of wood/metal] together
The shipwrights scarfed the damaged section of the keel to a new length of timber.
A hajóácsok sálkötéssel illesztették a gerinc sérült szakaszát egy új gerendadarabhoz.
You need to scarf these two beams so the joint can carry the load safely.
Ezt a két gerendát sálkötéssel kell összetoldani, hogy a kötés biztonságosan elbírja a terhelést.
The carpenter scarfed the boards together to create a longer, continuous surface.
In restoration work, we often scarf new wood into old structural members.
Engineers decided to scarf the rails instead of replacing the entire track length.
Learner examples
The builder scarfed two short beams to make one long beam.
Az építő sálkötéssel toldott össze két rövid gerendát, hogy egy hosszú gerendát kapjon.
They scarfed a new piece of wood into the old frame.
Sálkötéssel illesztettek egy új fadarabot a régi keretbe.
The workers will scarf the planks before they lay the floor.
He showed us how to scarf two metal bars together.
The carpenter scarfed the boards instead of using a new long board.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical verb with the everyday noun "scarf" (clothing) or the informal verb meaning "to eat quickly". In building or engineering texts, "scarf" usually refers to this joining process, not clothing or eating.
Meaning
join materials with scarf joint
Collocations
scarf two beams together
|scarf the timbers
|scarfed connection
|carefully scarf the joint
|scarf the planks
Synonyms
splice (A more general technical term for joining pieces, not limited to scarf joints.)
Antonyms
separate (To take pieces apart rather than join them into one length.)
Themes
construction
|engineering
|crafts
|work
|science
Definition
To connect two long pieces of wood or metal by cutting their ends and overlapping them so they fit together.
To join two pieces of wood, metal, or similar material by tapering or notching their ends and overlapping them to form a scarf joint.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
4
sálkötés
C2
Usage pattern:
a scarf in [a beam/rail/etc.]
The original scarf in the beam had failed and needed reinforcement.
A gerendában lévő eredeti sálkötés meghibásodott, és meg kellett erősíteni.
We inspected each scarf joint along the hull for signs of rot.
Megvizsgáltunk minden sálkötést a hajótest mentén, hogy látszik-e rajtuk korhadás.
A properly glued scarf can be as strong as the original timber.
The engineer specified a longer scarf to improve load transfer.
You can see the old scarf where the rail was extended.
Learner examples
The boat builder made a scarf in the long beam.
A hajóépítő sálkötést készített a hosszú gerendában.
This board has a scarf where two pieces were joined.
Ezen a deszkán sálkötés van ott, ahol két darabot összeillesztettek.
They checked each scarf joint for cracks.
A strong glue is important in a scarf.
The carpenter cut a new scarf in the timber.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "scarf joint" is related to clothing. In technical texts, "scarf" here is about how two pieces of material are joined, not about something you wear.
Meaning
joint made by overlapping ends
Collocations
scarf joint
|longitudinal scarf
|timber scarf
|glued scarf
|rail scarf
|structural scarf
Synonyms
splice joint (A more general term for a joint joining two pieces end-to-end; not always specifically tapered like a scarf.)
Antonyms
butt joint (A joint where two ends simply meet without tapering or overlapping, contrasting with a scarf joint.)
Themes
construction
|engineering
|crafts
|work
|science
Definition
A special kind of joint where two pieces of wood or metal have cut ends that overlap so they join into one long piece.
A joint between two pieces of wood, metal, or similar material made by tapering or notching their ends and overlapping them, especially along their length.
Grammar
Dictionary form
scarf
IPA
GB/skˈɑɹf/
US/skˈɑɹf/
Syllables & stress
scarf (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (scarf)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: scarf
- Plural: scarfs, scarves
Word family
Forms
scarfs
noun
scarves
noun
Related words
headscarf
noun
Expressions
scarf down
1/skˈɑɹf dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
informal
eat something very quickly
To eat food very quickly, usually because you are very hungry and not careful about manners.
Examples
- We scarfed down our burgers before the movie started.
- She came home late and scarfed down a bowl of pasta.
- They scarfed down the snacks as soon as they arrived.
scarf up
1/skˈɑɹf ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
grab or collect quickly
To quickly take or collect a lot of something, often so that other people cannot get it.
Examples
- Shoppers scarfed up all the discounted laptops in an hour.
- The kids scarfed up the candy as soon as I put it out.
- Investors scarfed up the new shares on the first day of trading.