Scrawl
/skrɔːl/noun
To write or draw in a hurried, messy, or illegible way; a hurried, messy piece of writing.
Did you know?“Scrawl” is believed to be a variant of “scrall,” tied to the same rough, scraping sound-pattern as words for clawing and scratching, so the word itself feels like a tiny verbal scratch mark.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to cut, scratch, scrape”
Old English / Old Norse
Germanic
scræcian / skrapa
“to scratch, scrape, make a harsh rough sound or action”
Middle English
English
scrawlen
“to scratch or write clumsily; to make rough marks”
16th Century
English
scrawl
“to write in a rough, hurried, or irregular hand”
Modern English
English
scrawl
“to write or draw hastily and messily”