scum

Meanings

Noun

• A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially molten metal or water).
• A greenish water vegetation (such as algae), usually found floating on the surface of ponds
• The topmost liquid layer of a cesspool or septic tank.
• Semen.
• A reprehensible person or persons.

Verb

• To remove the layer of scum from (a liquid etc.).
• To remove (something) as scum.
• To become covered with scum.
• To scour (the land, sea etc.).
• To gather together, as scum.
• To startscum or savescum.

Origin

• From Middle English scum, scome, skum, skome, scumme, from Middle Dutch schūme, from Proto-Germanic *skūmaz, from Proto-Indo-European *skew-. Cognate with Dutch schuim, German Schaum, Danish and Swedish skum. Compare also French écume, Italian schiuma, Walloon schome, Lithuanian šamas and skanus from the same Germanic source. Related to skim.