# scar

> English word · Noun · IPA /skɑɹ/ · frequency rank #10,124

## Definitions
1. A permanent mark on the skin, sometimes caused by the healing of a wound.
2. A permanent negative effect on someone's mind, caused by a traumatic experience.
3. Any permanent mark resulting from damage.

## Etymology
From Middle English scar, scarre, a conflation of Old French escare (“scab”) (from Late Latin eschara, from Ancient Greek ἐσχάρα (eskhára, “scab left from a burn”), and thus a doublet of eschar) and Middle English skar (“incision, cut, fissure”) (from Old Norse skarð (“notch, chink, gap”), from Proto-Germanic *skardaz (“gap, cut, fragment”)). Akin to Old Norse skor (“notch, score”), Old English sċeard (“gap, cut, notch”). More at shard.
Displaced native Old English dolg, dolgswæþ, and wundswaþu (“scar”). Not related to scarify.

## Easily confused with
- **sea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sea)
- **sir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sir)
- **spa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-spa)
- **SCI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sci)
- **ser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-ser)
- **sha** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sha)
- **STA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sta)
- **STR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-str)
- **sia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sia)
- **ska** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-ska)
- **SLR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-slr)
- **SMA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sma)
- **SoA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-soa)
- **SSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-ssa)
- **SLA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sla)
- **Snr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-snr)
- **SCC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-scc)
- **SCP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-scp)
- **sor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sor)
- **SFA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scar-vs-sfa)

## Common misspellings (6)
`csar`, `sacr`, `scarr`, `sccar`, `scra`, `sscar`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/scar