What does itches mean

Accessed 14 Nov. English Language Learners Definition of itch Entry 2 of 2. See the full definition for itch in the English Language Learners Dictionary. Nglish: Translation of itch for Spanish Speakers.

Britannica English: Translation of itch for Arabic Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of itch Entry 1 of 2. Definition of itch Entry 2 of 2. Synonyms for itch Synonyms: Verb aggravate , annoy , bother , bug , burn up , chafe , eat , exasperate , frost , gall , get , grate , gripe , hack off , irk , irritate , nark [ British ], nettle , peeve , persecute , pique , put out , rasp , rile , ruffle , spite , vex Synonyms: Noun concupiscence , desire , eroticism , horniness , hots , lech , letch , libidinousness , lust , lustfulness , lustihood , passion , salaciousness Visit the Thesaurus for More.

And of course, as schools open up again across the country, many high schoolers are itching with misgivings of their own. My late distemper of heat and itching being come upon me again, so that I must think of sweating again as I did before. In hay fever, the itching and redness of the eyes, nose, and throat are controlled from a sensitive point in the naso-pharynx.

I gravely placed a gold piece in his itching palm, asking, "What did they write on the walls? Itching and reddening of the skin commenced within twenty-four hours. An itching red spot about the size of a dime was noticed in thirty-six hours, and it steadily increased in size.

The reason you looked this up, though, is because itch is sometimes informally used to mean the same thing as scratch , as in Try not to itch your mosquito bites—it will only make them itchier! Language purists are often itching to clarify that you scratch an itch , but this verb use of itch is quite common. As a noun, the word scratch means something different—a cut or scrape, typically a minor one caused by something having scratched the skin, as in I got a few scratches from the thornbush.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between itch and scratch. Should itch or scratch be used in the following sentence? Our evp of engineering —who has been in the company for many years — just got an itch to redo his webcam setup, and he wanted to get a mirrorless camera. That seems to be the modus operandi as The League moves closer to the seven-year itch. Despite approximately a century of pruritus research, there is no single effective antipruritic treatment, but several topical and orally-administered agents are available that suppress itching in certain clinical settings.

These agents include lotions and creams such as calamine and hydrocortisone , antihistamines, opioid antagonists, aspirin and ultraviolet light therapy. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options.