itch meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

itch

noun

/ɪt͡ʃ/

Etymology From Middle English icche, ȝicche, from Old English ġiċċe (“itch”), from Proto-Germanic *jukjǭ (“itch”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots yeuk (“itch, itchiness”), Dutch jeuk (“itch”), German jucken.

A sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch said area.

A constant teasing desire or want.

... it left, however, a bee at his ear and an itch to transfer the buzzer's attentions and tease his darling; for she had betrayed herself as right good game.1895, George Meredith, The Amazing Marriage:

Synonyms: yuck, yuik, yeuk
Derived terms: 39 terms
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itch

verb

Etymology From Middle English icchen, ȝicchen, from Old English ġiċċan, ġyċċan (“to itch”), from Proto-West Germanic *jukkjan (“to itch”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots yeuk (“to itch”), West Frisian jûkje (“to itch”), Dutch jeuken (“to itch”), Low German jocken (“to itch”), German jucken (“to itch”).

Stative To feel itchy; to feel a need to be scratched.

To have a constant, teasing urge; to feel strongly motivated; to want or desire something.

He started learning to drive and he has been itching for opportunities to practice ever since.
Capulet: ... Speak not, reply not, do not answer me; / My fingers itch. Wife, we scarce thought us blest / That God had lent us but this only child; / But now I see this one is one too much, / And that we have a curse in having her: / Out on her, hilding!c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

To cause to feel an itch.

My head is suddenly itching me like mad.2001, India Knight, My Life on a Plate, page 102:

Colloquial To scratch or rub so as to relieve an itch.

"What makes you suspect him?" Max asked as he itched his neck.2002, M D Huddleston, Missing Paige:
I have to take both shoes and socks off! If I go bare foot I'm ok! I also get itching on my r/palm of my hand. I itch it so much that it's raw!2002 January 4, Cyd, “Itching”, in alt.support.mult-sclerosis (Usenet):

3 more examples

Basically I go through a half hour of trying to figure out of it is an fake OCD itch or a regular itch before I itch it (if I determine it's a "fake" itch, then I try not to itch it).2003 November 21, Jim Patterson, “Behavior Therapy for Itchy Clothes?”, in alt.support.ocd (Usenet):
Ulysses thumped his side and itched his back side, then slipped into his car.2003, Ray Emerson, The Riddle of Cthulhu:
But when we asked more about the famous man whose specter still commanded the heights, the guard just sneered at me, pointed his gun back toward the road with one hand, and itched his chin with the other.2004, Philip Smucker, Al Qaeda's Great Escape: The Military and the Media on Terror's Trail:

Derived terms: itcher, itch the ditch, itchy, make one's teeth itch, make someone's teeth itch, one's fingers itch

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