scrawl

/skɹɔːl/

scrawl

English Noun

Definition

Irregular, poor handwriting; especially, such writing that is illegible.

Etymology

Possibly from Middle English scraulen (“to spread out one's limbs; sprawl”), itself an alteration of spraulen (“to sprawl”) or craulen, crawlen (“to crawl”). Alternatively, from scrall, a contraction of scrabble.