scribe

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
: a member of a learned class in ancient Israel through New Testament times studying the Scriptures and serving as copyists, editors, teachers, and jurists
2
a
: an official or public secretary or clerk
b
: a copier of manuscripts
3
: writer
specifically : journalist

scribe

2 of 4

verb (1)

scribed; scribing

intransitive verb

: to work as a scribe : write

scribe

3 of 4

verb (2)

scribed; scribing

transitive verb

1
: to mark a line on by cutting or scratching with a pointed instrument
2
: to make by cutting or scratching

scribe

4 of 4

noun (2)

Examples of scribe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The pair had originally been attached to write a Lando TV series, taking over from Dear White People scribe Justin Simien, although the project was put on pause during the writers strike. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2024 Veteran horror scribe Gary Dauberman, known for writing the It and Annabelle films and for helming Annabelle Comes Home, wrote and directed the movie whose distribution plans have been in flux since WarnerMedia, which owned New Line and Warner Bros., merged with Discovery Inc. in spring of 2022. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Playing the writer is the director and scribe Rafa Alberola from Madrid. Callum McLennan, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Big Game Tae is stuck in a backcourt logjam in the Motor City and was beloved here by teammates, coaches, scribes — pretty much everyone. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2024 Sony had originally planned a Barbie movie of its own, with Oscar-winning Juno scribe Diablo Cody among the team of writers behind it, and Amy Schumer pegged for the title role. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2023 These include Starter Villain, with Jesse Andrews attached to adapt; an adaptation of the family book series Eloise, with partner MRC; and the original action comedy Gaslight Express, with Reynolds teaming up with Deadpool scribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024 Many scribes still pen scripts with those broadcast-friendly act breaks in mind. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2024 An adaptation of the Broadway musical version of the movie will be released in January by Paramount Pictures, with scribe Tina Fey returning. Clayton Davis, Variety, 20 Dec. 2023
Noun
Somewhere in between these extremes is the unglamorous, frequently tedious work of chipping away at an idea, a sequence, or line of dialogue that gets to the heart of what a scribe wants to say — or more precisely, hopes to communicate. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024 Unsurprisingly the implications of artificial intelligence in healthcare were top of mind for everyone, especially the battle heating up for customers in the AI medical scribe market. Alex Knapp, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Fast forward to 1440 when Johannes Guttenberg invented the printing press, which was followed by a series of panics, including a group of scribes who, in 1474, petitioned the Republic of Genoa (now Italy) to outlaw the invention. Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2024 Early cuneiform was used by scribes for bookkeeping, Arbøll explained. Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 Requiring an abundance of raw material and time to compile, some scholars suspect that there were several scribes — as many as four or five — who worked on the manuscript, shaping the symbols of Voynichese with slight variations throughout the tome. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 Based on the screenwriters’ interviews with the show’s living cast, scribes and crew, the film is set to focus on the formative moment in October 1975 for the NBC sketch show that is currently airing its 49th season. Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2024 Shiji, a monumental history compiled around 85 B.C.E. by Han dynasty court scribe and historian Sima Qian, states that the birth of the first Han emperor, Gaozu, was blessed by a dragon. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 Written by Charlie Kaufman, the celebrated scribe behind Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Adaptation, the film is an adaptation of Emma Yarlett’s children’s book about an anxious kid who is scared of the dark. Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scribe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Latin scriba official writer, from scribere to write; akin to Greek skariphasthai to scratch an outline

Verb (2)

probably short for describe

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1651, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scribe was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near scribe

Cite this Entry

“Scribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scribe. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scribe

1 of 2 noun
1
: a scholar of the Jewish law in New Testament times
2
a
: a public secretary or clerk
b
: a person who copies manuscripts

scribe

2 of 2 verb
scribed; scribing
: to mark or make by cutting or scratching with a pointed instrument
Etymology

Noun

Middle English scribe "one of a class of scholars and copiers of the Scriptures in ancient Israel," from Latin scriba "official writer," from scribere "to write" — related to circumscribe, description, scribble, scripture, shrove tuesday

Biographical Definition

Scribe

biographical name

(Augustin-) Eugène 1791–1861 French dramatist

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