Definition of "scramble"

scramble

/ˈskɹæmbl̩/

verb
third-person singular simple present scrambles, present participle scrambling, simple past and past participle scrambled
1. (intransitive) To move hurriedly to a location, especially by using all limbs against a surface.
  Quotations
  As half-time approached Fabregas had another chance to give Barcelona the lead. He collected an incisive Messi pass and this time beat Cech, who required Cole to scramble back and clear the ball off the line.
  2012 April 18, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona”, in BBC Sport‎
  When I saw the coffin I knew that I was respited, for, as I judged, there was space between it and the wall behind enough to contain my little carcass; and in a second I had put out the candle, scrambled up the shelves, half-stunned my senses with dashing my head against the roof, and squeezed my body betwixt wall and coffin.
  1898, J. Meade Falkner, chapter 3, in Moonfleet, London, Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934
2. (intransitive) To proceed to a location or an objective in a disorderly manner.
3. (transitive, of food ingredients, usually including egg) To thoroughly combine and cook as a loose mass.
4. (transitive) To process telecommunication signals to make them unintelligible to an unauthorized listener.
5. (transitive, military) To quickly deploy (vehicles, usually aircraft) to a destination in response to an alert, usually to intercept an attacking enemy.
6. (intransitive, military) To be quickly deployed in this manner.
  Quotations
  As the planes scrambled, four of his veterans went up: Tom Lanphier, Rex Barber, Joe Moore and Jim McLanahan. They had waited with other Lightnings at 30,000 feet and dived on a formation of eleven Zeroes far below, working in pairs.
  1969, Burke Davis, Get Yamamoto, page 115
7. (intransitive, sports) To partake in motocross.
8. (intransitive) To ascend rocky terrain as a leisure activity.
9. (transitive) To gather or collect by scrambling.
  Quotations
  They say we are a scatter'd nation: I cannot tell, but we have scrambled up More wealth by far than those that brag of faith.
  c. 1589–1590, Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Ievv of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, Act I, 155-57
10. (transitive) To struggle eagerly with others for something thrown upon the ground; to go down upon all fours to seize something; to catch rudely at what is desired.
  Quotations
  Of other care they little reck'ning make, / Then how to ſcramble at the ſhearers feaſt,
  1637, John Milton, “Lycidas”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, page 62
11. (transitive) To throw something down for others to compete for in this manner.
  Quotations
  […] Father Boniface standing on the verandah of the Monastery on a Sunday afternoon “scrambling” lollies to the kids […]
  1952, Walkabout, volume 18, page 40
noun
plural scrambles
1. A rush or hurry, especially making use of the limbs against a surface.
2. (military) An emergency defensive air force mission to intercept attacking enemy aircraft.
  Quotations
  There goes the siren that warns of the air raid / Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak / Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne / Got to get up for the coming attack.
  1984, Steve Harris, "Aces High", Iron Maiden, Powerslave.
3. A motocross race.
4. Any frantic period of competitive activity.
  Quotations
  And the Leeds defence, led by the impressive Alex Bruce, was also in determined mood. Jonathan Howson had to clear a Sebastien Squillaci effort off his line and Becchio was also in the right place to hack clear after a goalmouth scramble.
  2011 January 8, Chris Bevan, “Arsenal 1 – 1 Leeds”, in BBC Sport‎
  [I]n the 575 days since [Oscar] Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, there has been an unseemly scramble to construct revisionist histories, to identify evidence beneath that placid exterior of a pugnacious, hair-trigger personality.
  2014 October 21, Oliver Brown, “Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years – sport afforded no protection against his tragic fallibilities: Bladerunner's punishment for killing Reeva Steenkamp is but a frippery when set against the burden that her bereft parents, June and Barry, must carry ”, in The Daily Telegraph (Sport)‎
5. (gridiron football) An impromptu maneuver or run by a quarterback, attempting to gain yardage or avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage.
6. (golf) A statistic used in assessing a player's short game, consisting of a chip or putt from under 50 yards away that results in requiring one putt or less on the green.
7. (golf) A variant of golf in which each player in a team tees off on each hole, and the players decide which shot was best. Every player then plays their second shot from within a club length of where the best ball has come to rest, and the procedure is repeated until the hole is finished.
interjection
1. (UK) Shouted when something desirable is thrown into a group of people who individually want that item, causing them to rush for it.