scathe (plural scathes)
- For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.
From Middle English scathen, skathen, from Old English sceaþan, scaþan (“to scathe, hurt, harm, injure”) and Old Norse skaða (“to hurt”); both from Proto-Germanic *skaþōną (“to injure”). Cognate with Danish skade, German schaden, Swedish skada; compare Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (skaþjan), Old Norse skeðja (“to hurt”). Compare Ancient Greek ἀσκηθής (askēthēs, “unhurt”), Albanian shkathët (“skillful, adept, clever”), Polish skaleczyć (“to hurt, scathe”).
- (archaic) To injure.
- As when heaven's fire / Hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines.
- Washington Irving
- Strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul.