Scour (skour), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Scoured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.Scouring.] [Akin to LG. schüren, D. schuren, schueren, G. scheuern, Dan. skure; Sw. skura; all possibly fr. LL. escurare, fr. L. ex + curare to take care. Cf. Cure.] 1. To rub hard with something rough, as sand or Bristol brick, especially for the purpose of cleaning; to clean by friction; to make clean or bright; to cleanse from grease, dirt, etc., as articles of dress.
2. To purge; as, to scour a horse.
3. To remove by rubbing or cleansing; to sweep along or off; to carry away or remove, as by a current of water; — often with off or away.
stain my favors in a bloody mask,
Which, washed away, shall scour my shame with it. Shak.
4. [Perhaps a different word; cf. OF. escorre, escourre, It. scorrere, both fr. L. excurrere to run forth. Cf. Excursion.] To pass swiftly over; to brush along; to traverse or search thoroughly; as, to scour the coast.
Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain. Pope.
Scouring barrel, a tumbling barrel. See under Tumbling. — Scouring cinder(Metal.), a basic slag, which attacks the lining of a shaft furnace. Raymond. — Scouring rush. (Bot.) See Dutch rush, under Dutch. — Scouring stock(Woolen Manuf.), a kind of fulling mill.