scuffle

Etymology 1

Possibly of North Germanic/Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish skuff (“a push”) and skuffa (“to push”), from the Proto-Germanic base *skuf- (skuƀ), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ-, see also Lithuanian skùbti (“to hurry”), Polish skubać (“to pluck”), Albanian humb (“to lose”).

noun

1. A rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters.
   The Dog leaps upon the Serpent, and Tears it to Pieces; but in the Scuffle the Cradle happen'd to be Overturn'd: […] 1692, Roger L'Estrange, “Fab[le] CCCCLXX. A Farmer and His Servant.”, in Fables of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: With Morals and Reflexions, London: Printed for R[ichard] Sare, T. Sawbridge, B. Took, M[atthew] Gillyflower, A. & J. Churchil, and J[oseph] Hindmarsh, →OCLC; 2nd corrected and amended edition, London: Printed for R[ichard] Sare, B. Took, M[atthew] Gillyflower, A. & J. Churchil, J[oseph] Hindmarsh, and G[eorge] Sawbridge, 1694, →OCLC, page 435
   Fights ensued as many England supporters attempted to retreat before some stewards moved in. Intermittent scuffles continued to break out until the section of the crowd where the trouble started was vacated. 11 June 2016, Phil McNulty, “England 1–1 Russia”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2016-06-13
2. (slang) Poverty; struggle.
   But even on the scuffle / The cleaner's press was in my jeans 1975, Joni Mitchell (lyrics and music), “The Boho Dance”, in The Hissing of Summer Lawns
3. (archaic) A child's pinafore or bib.

verb

1. (intransitive) To fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters.
   Certainly a gallant man had rather fight to great diſadvantages for number and place in the field in an orderly way, then ſcuffle with an undiſciplined rabble. 1648, attributed to Charles I of England, Εἰκὼν Βασιλική [Eikōn Basilikē = Royal Portrait]. The Pourtraicture of His Sacred Maiestie, in His Solitvdes and Svfferings, [London?]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 15
2. (intransitive) To walk with a shuffling gait.
3. (slang) To make a living with difficulty, getting by on a low income, to struggle financially.

Etymology 2

A borrowing from Dutch schoffel.

noun

1. A Dutch hoe, manipulated by both pushing and pulling.