Literary notes about Scour (AI summary)
In literature, "scour" functions with a delightful versatility. It is used both to describe the vigorous act of cleaning or scrubbing—a character might "scour the clay with sand" to mold bricks [1] or even "scour knives and forks" to achieve a bright, spotless gleam [2]—and to evoke an exhaustive, determined search, as when adventurers set out to "scour the whole region" in pursuit of hidden treasures or lost trails [3] or when a character embarks to "scour the world for adventures" [4]. The term extends beyond human endeavors to depict natural processes too, such as the creation of "glacial scour lines" carved by the persistent motion of ice [5]. This range of usage enriches the imagery and thematic depth of literary works throughout the ages.
- It was enough to scour the clay with sand, then to mold the bricks and bake them by the heat of a wood fire.
— from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne - And,” with a glance at the silver, “I can scour knives and forks and spoons, too.
— from Mary-'Gusta by Joseph Crosby Lincoln - They went, intending to scour the region all about town, beginning the search where we lost that trail beyond the pine grove.
— from The Voodoo Gold Trail by Walter Walden - He longed to scour the world for adventures, and spent a fourth part of his manhood in a gaol.
— from Sir Walter Ralegh: A Biography by W. (William) Stebbing - Striated surfaces at lower right are glacial scour lines made by ice moving south from Yellowstone National Park.
— from Creation of the Teton Landscape: The Geologic Story of Grand Teton National Park by John C. (John Calvin) Reed
