scour
UK: skaʊə | US: ˈskaʊər
vt. to clean or polish by rubbing hard
vt. to search thoroughly or rapidly
vi. (of water or wind) to erode or wear away
The word "scour" originates from Middle Dutch schuren ("to polish, clean by rubbing"), related to Old High German scūran ("to shred"). The core morpheme sc- reflects an ancient Germanic root meaning "to scrape or cut," while -our evolved as a verb-forming suffix in English. Over time, the meaning expanded metaphorically to include intensive searching (as if "scrubbing through" details) and natural erosion (as water "scrapes" land).
She scoured the pots until they shone.
Detectives scoured the city for clues.
The river scoured a deep canyon over centuries.
He scoured the internet for rare books.
Wind-scoured cliffs stood bare against the coast.