scree

Meanings

1. Loose stony debris on a slope.
2. Similar debris made up of broken building material such as bricks, concrete, etc.
3. A slope made up of scree at the base of a cliff, mountain, etc.

1. To traverse scree downhill.

1. A harsh, high-pitched sound or cry (as of a hawk).

1. To make a high-pitched cry like that of a hawk.

1. To flatten or level concrete while still wet, and remove protruding gravel and stones from the surface.

1. A coarse sieve.

Etymology

Probably a back-formation from screes, from Old Norse skriða (“landslide, landslip”); compare skríða (“to glide”) (from Proto-Germanic *skrīþaną (“to crawl; to glide; to walk”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreyt-, *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”)). The word is cognate with Icelandic skriða (“avalanche; landslide, landslip; steep mountain- or hillside made up of gravel and loose rocks”).