Score
/skɔːr/
nounverbB1
Definition
As a noun, "score" is the number of points or goals a person or team gets in a game, test, or competition. As a verb, it means to get points, goals, or success in an activity. It can also mean to make a mark or line on a surface.
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See It in Action
Number of points in games, tests, or competitions
- •The final score of the soccer match was 3-2.
- •She got a high score on her English test.
- •The basketball player scored 20 points in the game.
To gain points, goals, or success (verb)
- •He scored the winning goal in the last minute.
- •She scored well on the exam.
- •They scored a touchdown in the football game.
To make a line or mark on a surface (less common)
- •The carpenter scored the wood before cutting it.
- •She scored the paper to fold it neatly.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "score" like "points" (A1 word), but "score" is the total you get in a game or test.
- ✓Picture a scoreboard in a sports game showing numbers for each team.
- ✓It's the feeling of winning or doing well when you see your score is high.
- ✓Sounds like "score" → imagine a soccer player kicking a ball to get a point and shout "Score!"
- ✓Think of a teacher writing your test score on your paper to show how many answers you got right.
- ✓NOT like "mark" (a small sign), "score" is the total number or achievement.
- ✓NOT like "win" (which means to be the best), "score" is about points earned, not the final result.
- ✓NOT like "count" (which means to say numbers), "score" is the result of counting points or goals.
Try Other Words
- •Mark: a number or symbol showing quality or achievement (Use when talking about grades or quality, not sports)
- •Result: the final outcome or number (Use when emphasizing the end of a test or game)
- •Win: to be the best or first (Use when talking about success, not points)
- •Count: to say numbers or calculate (Use when talking about the process, not the total)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix) — "score" is a simple root word
- •Etymology: From Old English "scoru," meaning a group of twenty or a notch (mark)
- •Historical development: Originally meant a notch or line to count things, later used for counting points in games
- •Modern usage: Used for points in sports, tests, music (sheet music is called a score), and making marks on surfaces
- •Interesting fact: In music, a "score" is the written music for many instruments together
Reflect & Connect
•How does knowing the different meanings of "score" help you understand sports, school, and music better?
•Can "score" be both a number and an action? How does this change how you use the word in sentences?
Fill in the blanks
1.The soccer team’s score ___ higher than their opponent’s, so they won the game.
2.She worked hard to ___ a good score on her final exam.
3.Unlike just a single point, a score shows the ___ number of points earned in a game or test.
4.When the player ___ the goal, the crowd cheered loudly.
5.The teacher wrote the ___ on the paper to show how many questions were correct.
6.The carpenter ___ the wood carefully before cutting it to make a straight line.
7.If you want to ___ well in the game, you need to practice a lot.