scramble

Everyday

1. (verb) To climb or move quickly and awkwardly, using your hands and feet. tree →
2. (verb) To hurry or push against others to get something: "scramble for seats". tree →
3. (verb) To mix up eggs and cook them, stirring them in a pan. tree →
4. (verb) To mix something up so it cannot be understood, like a secret code or letters. tree →
5. (verb) For fighter planes to take off quickly in an emergency. tree →
6. (noun) A rush or struggle; a hurried climb; a motorbike race over rough ground. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, children scramble over rocks at the beach, and people scramble for bargains. In cooking, you scramble eggs. In puzzles, scrambled words (anagrams) have mixed-up letters: "tca" unscrambles to "cat". In history, the "Scramble for Africa" was when European countries rushed to take over African land in the late 1800s. Phrases: scramble up, scramble for, a mad scramble, scramble eggs, unscramble.

Examples

• We scrambled up the rocks to see the sea. tree →
• There was a mad scramble for the last cake. tree →
• Can you scramble some eggs for breakfast? tree →
• Unscramble these letters to make a word: "dbir". tree →
• The fighter jets scrambled to meet the unknown plane. tree →
• In history we learned about the Scramble for Africa. tree →
• Everyone scrambled to find their coats when the bell rang. tree →
• He managed, however, to scramble out with wet sleeves and bespattered trousers. tree →

Note

Past form: scrambled. Opposite of scramble (mix up) is "unscramble". "Scramble for" means rush to get. Scrambled eggs are cooked eggs, not raw.