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¹itch

verb \ˈich\

: to have or produce an unpleasant feeling on your skin or inside your mouth, nose, etc. that makes you want to scratch

: to have a strong desire to do something or for something

Full Definition of ITCH

intransitive verb

a : to have an itch <her arm itched>

b : to produce an itchy sensation <long underwear that itches>

: to have a restless desire or hankering for something <were itching to go outside>

transitive verb

: to cause to itch

: vex, irritate

See itch defined for English-language learners

See itch defined for kids

Origin of ITCH

Middle English icchen, from Old English giccan; akin to Old High German jucchen to itch

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to ITCH

Synonyms: aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, irritate, nark [British], nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vex

Rhymes with ITCH

bitch, ditch, fitch, flitch, glitch, hitch, kitsch, niche, pitch, quitch, rich, snitch, stitch, such, switch, twitch, which, witch

²itch

noun

: an uncomfortable or unpleasant feeling on your skin or inside your mouth, nose, etc., that makes you want to scratch

: a constant and strong desire for something or to do something

Full Definition of ITCH

a : an uneasy irritating sensation in the upper surface of the skin usually held to result from mild stimulation of pain receptors

b : a skin disorder accompanied by such a sensation; especially : a contagious eruption caused by a mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) that burrows in the skin and causes intense itching

a : a restless usually constant often compulsive desire <an itch to travel>

b : lust, prurience

— itch·i·ness \ˈi-chē-nəs\ noun

— itchy \ˈi-chē\ adjective

See itch defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of ITCH

before 12th century

Related to ITCH

Synonyms: concupiscence, eroticism, horniness, hots, desire, lech, letch, libidinousness, lust, lustfulness, lustihood, passion, salaciousness

Other Insect Terms

drone, entomology, gadfly, pismire, proboscis, vespine

ITCH Defined for Kids

¹itch

verb \ˈich\

itcheditch·ing

Definition of ITCH for Kids

: to have or produce an unpleasant feeling that causes a desire to scratch <My nose itches.>

: to have a strong desire <The kids at my school are ALWAYS itching to see a fight. — Jeff Kinney, Wimpy Kid>

²itch

noun

Definition of ITCH for Kids

: an unpleasant feeling that causes a desire to scratch

: a skin disorder in which an itch is present

: a restless usually constant desire <an itch to travel>

Medical Dictionary

itch

noun \ˈich\

Medical Definition of ITCH

: an uneasy irritating sensation in the upper surface of the skin usually held to result from mild stimulation of pain receptors

: a skin disorder accompanied by an itch; especially : a contagious eruption caused by an itch mite of the genus Sarcoptes (S. scabiei) that burrows in the skin and causes intense itching

—itch verb

—itch·i·ness \ˈich-ē-nəs\ noun

—itchy \-ē\ adjective