Illustration of scarf
- 4scarf 2
plural scarves
ˈskärvz 
or scarfs
or scarfs
1
: a broad band of cloth worn about the shoulders, around the neck, or over the head
2
3
a
: a military or official sash usually indicative of rank
b
archaic
: tippet sense 3
scarfed; scarfing; scarfs
1
: to wrap, cover, or adorn with or as if with a scarf
2
: to wrap or throw on (a scarf or mantle) loosely
scarfed; scarfing; scarfs
1
: scoff entry 3 sense 1
scarfed down my sandwich
2
: snap sense transitive 2
scarfed up the best seats
plural scarfs
1
: either of the chamfered or cutaway ends that fit together to form a scarf joint
2
: an in-line joint made by chamfering, halving, or notching two pieces to correspond and lapping them
variants
or less commonly scarph
scarfed also scarphed; scarfing also scarphing; scarfs also scarphs
Examples of scarf in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the college students scarfed the entire contents of the care package in one sitting
Recent Examples on the Web
Charley Ward,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 July 2026
The area on 97 Avenue is where thousands of physical tributes – including flowers, scarves, shirts, works of art, cards and banners – were placed in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy last July.
—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
There’s just something about scarfing oodles of vittles during and after skiing that is far more satisfying than any other post mountain pursuit grubfest.
—
Outside Online,
24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarf
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Noun
Inside, the spacious main compartment easily held a heavy travel wallet, an oversized scarf, a water bottle, and my headphones with plenty of room to spare.
—
Charley Ward,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 July 2026
The area on 97 Avenue is where thousands of physical tributes – including flowers, scarves, shirts, works of art, cards and banners – were placed in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy last July.
—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Verb
On a crowded concourse in the middle of a Saturday morning two months before the start of the season, fans are chugging beers, scarfing Dodger dogs, and even doing a line dance.
—
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
There’s just something about scarfing oodles of vittles during and after skiing that is far more satisfying than any other post mountain pursuit grubfest.
—
Outside Online,
24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarf
Cite this Entry
“Scarf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarf. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scarf
1 of 2 noun
plural scarves
ˈskärvz
or scarfs
1
: a broad band of cloth worn about the shoulders, around the neck, over the head, or about the waist
2
scarf
2 of 2 verb
: scoff entry 3 sense 1
scarfed down my sandwich
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