scrimshaw

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“
Sperm whale teeth are commonly used for scrimshaw, and can fetch large sums of money from collectors and tourists.

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Definitions (9)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun The art of carving or incising intricate designs on whalebone or whale ivory.
  2. noun A decorative article made by this art.
  3. transitive and intransitive verb To decorate (whale ivory or whalebone) with intricate carvings or designs or make such designs.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (33)

  • Finally he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the familiar scrimshaw, complete with its wad of spruce gum and runic tooth. —  FSF,June2008
  • With all his might he swung the sack of scrimshaw, catching Mordecai in the midsection and knocking him to the ground. —  TheMagazineofFantasyandScienceFiction,March2005
  • (B) The term "scrimshaw product" means any art form which involves the substantial etching or engraving of designs upon, or the substantial carving of figures, patterns, or designs from, any bone or tooth of any marine mammal of the order Cetacea. —  All Today's News - Sightline Daily
  • (D) No person may, after January 31, 1984, sell or offer for sale in interstate or foreign commerce, any pre-Act finished scrimshaw product unless such person holds —  All Today's News - Sightline Daily
  • Alaskan irony: eating whale blubber with scrimshaw utensils. —  THE IRATE NATION
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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Probably from scrimshander.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. A nautical word of unstable orthography; also scrimshon, scrimschon, skrimshon, scrimshorn, skrimschont, skrimshander; origin unknown. If the form scrimshaw is original, the word must be due to the surname Scrimshaw.
  2. from scrimshaw, v.
 

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/ˈskrɪmʃɔ/
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