score
The word carries a strong sense of measurement and marking. In sports and academics, it represents a definitive quantitative result, evoking a feeling of competition and finality. It is the objective record of performance that separates winners from losers. When used in music or craftsmanship, the word shifts toward a sense of precision and blueprinting. Whether it is a musical score or a scored piece of leather, the focus is on a deliberate, guided line that dictates how something should be played or folded.
Countable when referring to a specific tally or a musical manuscript. Uncountable when referring to the general act of scoring in a game.
Meanings
The number of points achieved in a game or test.
"The final score was three to one."
A written representation of a musical composition.
"The pianist spent hours studying the orchestral score."
A group or set of twenty.
"The farmer owned a score of sheep."
To gain a point in a game.
"He managed to score in the final minute."
To make a shallow cut or line on a surface.
"The baker scored the top of the bread before baking."
To achieve a goal or success.
"The team scored frequently throughout the season."
Examples
The final score was three to one.
The pianist spent hours studying the orchestral score.
The farmer owned a score of sheep.
He managed to score in the final minute.
The baker scored the top of the bread before baking.
The team scored frequently throughout the season.
Phrasal Verbs
score up
to calculate the total points or a final tally
The accountant spent the afternoon scoring up the losses from the previous quarter.
score out
to cross something off a list or mark it as completed
Once she finished each task, she would score it out with a red pen.