scarf

Etymology 1

Probably from Old Northern French escarpe (compare Old French escharpe (“pilgrim's purse suspended from the neck”), which see). The verb is derived from the noun. Doublet of scrip.

noun

1. A long, often knitted, garment worn around the neck.
   Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety. She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 2, in The China Governess
2. A headscarf.
3. (dated) A neckcloth or cravat.

verb

1. To throw on loosely; to put on like a scarf.
2. To dress with a scarf, or as with a scarf; to cover with a loose wrapping.

Etymology 2

Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old Norse skarfr, derivative of skera (“to cut”).

noun

1. A type of joint in woodworking.
2. A groove on one side of a sewing machine needle.
3. A dip or notch or cut made in the trunk of a tree to direct its fall when felling.

verb

1. To shape by grinding.
2. To form a scarf on the end or edge of, as for a joint in timber, forming a "V" groove for welding adjacent metal plates, metal rods, etc.
3. To unite, as two pieces of timber or metal, by a scarf joint.

Etymology 3

Generally thought to be a variant, attested since the 1950s, of scoff (“eat (quickly)”) (of which scorf is another attested variant), itself a variant of scaff. Sometimes alternatively suggested to be a dialectal survival of Old English scearfian, sceorfan (“gnaw, bite”) (compare scurf).

verb

1. (transitive, US, slang) To eat very quickly.
   You sure scarfed that pizza.
   We dug in. We ate everything there was to eat on the table. We ate like there was no tomorrow. We didn't talk. We ate. We scarfed. We grazed that table. We were into serious eating. We finished everything, including half a strawberry pie. 1983, Raymond Carver, Cathedral

Etymology 4

From Old Norse skarfr.

noun

1. (Scotland) A cormorant.

Etymology 5

noun

1. Archaic form of scurf (“skin disease; skin flakes”).