Decrease and Scrape

noun

• A change downward.
  • usage: "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"
  • synonyms: lessening, drop-off
• A process of becoming smaller or shorter.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The amount by which something decreases.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The act of decreasing or reducing something.
  • synonyms: diminution, reduction, step-down

verb

• Decrease in size, extent, or range.
  • usage: "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
  • synonyms: diminish, lessen, fall
• Make smaller.
  • usage: "He decreased his staff"
  • synonyms: lessen, minify

• (v.t.) To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means.
• (v.) A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.
• (n.) To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc. or in strength, quality or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December.
• (v.) The wane of the moon.

noun

• A harsh noise made by scraping.
  • usage: "the scrape of violin bows distracted her"
  • synonyms: scraping, scratch, scratching
• An abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off.
  • synonyms: abrasion, scratch, excoriation
• A deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility. )
  • usage: "all that bowing and scraping did not impress him"
  • synonyms: scraping
• An indication of damage.
  • synonyms: scratch, scar, mark

verb

• Scratch repeatedly.
  • usage: "The cat scraped at the armchair"
  • synonyms: grate
• Make by scraping.
  • usage: "They scraped a letter into the stone"
• Cut the surface of; wear away the surface of.
  • synonyms: scratch, scratch up
• Bend the knees and bow in a servile manner.
  • synonyms: kowtow, genuflect
• Gather (money or other resources) together over time.
  • usage: "She had scraped together enough money for college"; "they scratched a meager living"
  • synonyms: scrape up, scratch, come up
• Bruise, cut, or injure the skin or the surface of.
  • usage: "The boy skinned his knee when he fell"
  • synonyms: skin

• (v.t.) To express disapprobation of, as a play or to silence, as a speaker, by drawing the feet back and forth upon the floor; -- usually with down.
• (v.i.) To occupy one's self with getting laboriously; as, he scraped and saved until he became rich.
• (v.i.) To rub over the surface of anything with something which roughens or removes it or which smooths or cleans it; to rub harshly and noisily along.
• (n.) A drawing back of the right foot when bowing; also, a bow made with that accompaniment.
• (v.i.) To play awkwardly and inharmoniously on a violin or like instrument.
• (v.t.) To remove by rubbing or scraping (in the sense above).
• (v.i.) To draw back the right foot along the ground or floor when making a bow.
• (n.) The act of scraping; also, the effect of scraping, as a scratch or a harsh sound; as, a noisy scrape on the floor; a scrape of a pen.
• (v.t.) To collect by or as by, a process of scraping; to gather in small portions by laborious effort; hence, to acquire avariciously and save penuriously; -- often followed by together or up; as, to scrape money together.
• (v.t.) To rub over the surface of (something) with a sharp or rough instrument; to rub over with something that roughens by removing portions of the surface; to grate harshly over; to abrade; to make even or bring to a required condition or form, by moving the sharp edge of an instrument breadthwise over the surface with pressure, cutting away excesses and superfluous parts; to make smooth or clean; as, to scrape a bone with a knife; to scrape a metal plate to an even surface.
• (n.) A disagreeable and embarrassing predicament out of which one can not get without undergoing, as it were, a painful rubbing or scraping; a perplexity; a difficulty.