scram·ble / ˈskrambəl/ • v. 1. [intr.] make one's way quickly or awkwardly up a steep slope or over rough ground by using one's hands as well as one's feet: we scrambled over the wet boulders. ∎  move hurriedly or clumsily from or into a particular place or position: she scrambled out of the car. ∎  (scramble into) put (clothes) on hurriedly: Robbie scrambled into jeans and a T-shirt. ∎  [tr.] inf. perform (an action) or achieve (a result) hurriedly, clumsily, or with difficulty. ∎  struggle or compete with others for something in an eager or uncontrolled and undignified way: firms scrambled to win public-sector contracts. ∎  [tr.] (often be scrambled) order (a fighter aircraft or its pilot) to take off immediately in an emergency or for action. ∎  [intr.] (of a fighter aircraft or its pilot) take off in such a way. ∎  [intr.] Football (of a quarterback) run around with the ball behind the line of scrimmage while looking for an open receiver. ∎  [intr.] Football run forward with the ball when unable to pass to an open receiver. 2. [tr.] make (something) jumbled or muddled: maybe the alcohol has scrambled his brains. ∎  prepare (eggs) by beating them with a little liquid and then cooking and stirring them gently. ∎  make (a broadcast transmission, a telephone message, or electronic data) unintelligible unless received by an appropriate decoding device: [as adj.] (scrambled) scrambled television signals. • n. 1. a difficult or hurried clamber up or over something: an undignified scramble over the wall. ∎  a walk up steep terrain involving the use of one's hands. ∎  an eager or uncontrolled and undignified struggle with others to obtain or achieve something: a scramble for high-priced concert seats. ∎  an emergency takeoff by fighter aircraft. 2. a disordered mixture of things: the encryptor produced a scramble of the letters of the alphabet. DERIVATIVES: scram·bling / -b(ə)ling/ n. ORIGIN: late 16th cent.: imitative; compare with the dialect words scamble ‘stumble’ and cramble ‘crawl.’

scramble v.
1. (often be scrambled) order (a fighter aircraft or its pilot) to take off immediately in an emergency or for action.

2. (of a fighter aircraft or its pilot) take off in such a way.

3. make (a broadcast transmission, a telephone message, or electronic data) unintelligible unless received by an appropriate decoding device: (scrambled) scrambled television signals.
n. an emergency takeoff by fighter aircraft.
scrambling n.

Scramble

a confused or disorderly event.

Examples : scramble of the world, 1839; a scramble of Tories, 1839; motorcycle scramble (race meeting).

scramble make one's way by clambering, etc.; struggle with others for something. XVI. of symbolic form.

scramble •babble, bedabble, dabble, drabble, gabble, grabble, rabble, scrabble •amble, bramble, Campbell, gamble, gambol, ramble, scramble, shamble •psychobabble • technobabble •barbel, garble, marble •pebble, rebel, treble •assemble, dissemble, Kemble, resemble, tremble •Abel, able, Babel, cable, enable, fable, gable, label, Mabel, sable, stable, table •enfeeble, feeble, Keble •dibble, dribble, fribble, Gribble, kibble, nibble, quibble, scribble •Abu Simbel, cymbal, gimbal, nimble, symbol, thimble, timbal •mandible •credible, edible •descendible, extendible, vendible •audible •frangible, tangible •illegible, legible •eligible, intelligible •negligible • dirigible • corrigible •submergible • fallible • indelible •gullible •cannibal, Hannibal •discernible • terrible • horrible •thurible •irascible, passible •expansible • collapsible • impassible •accessible, compressible, impressible, inexpressible, irrepressible, repressible •flexible •apprehensible, comprehensible, defensible, distensible, extensible, ostensible, reprehensible, sensible •indexible •admissible, dismissible, immiscible, impermissible, irremissible, miscible, omissible, permissible, remissible, transmissible •convincible, vincible •compossible, impossible, possible •irresponsible, responsible •forcible •adducible, crucible, deducible, inducible, irreducible, producible, reducible, seducible •coercible, irreversible, reversible, submersible •biocompatible, compatible •contractible • partible •indefectible, perfectible •contemptible •imperceptible, perceptible, susceptible •comestible, digestible, suggestible •irresistible, resistible •exhaustible •conductible, deductible, destructible, tax-deductible •corruptible, interruptible •combustible •controvertible, convertible, invertible •discerptible • persuasible • feasible •divisible, risible, visible •implausible, plausible •fusible •Bible, intertribal, libel, scribal, tribal •bobble, Chernobyl, cobble, gobble, hobble, knobble, nobble, squabble, wobble •ensemble •bauble, corbel, warble •coble, ennoble, Froebel, global, Grenoble, ignoble, noble •foible • rouble • Hasdrubal • chasuble •soluble, voluble •bubble, double, Hubble, nubble, rubble, stubble, trouble •bumble, crumble, fumble, grumble, humble, jumble, mumble, rough-and-tumble, rumble, scumble, stumble, tumble, umbel •payable, sayable •seeable, skiable •amiable •dyeable, flyable, friable, liable, pliable, triable, viable •towable •doable, suable, wooable •affable • effable • exigible • cascabel •takable • likable • salable • tenable •tunable • capable • dupable •arable, parable •curable, durable •taxable •fixable, mixable •actable • collectible •datable, hatable •eatable •notable, potable •mutable • savable • livable • movable •lovable • equable • sizable • usable •burble, herbal, verbal