scramble

Universal Words verb, noun verb walk / climb 1 [V+adv./prep.] to move quickly, especially with difficulty, using your hands to help you: She managed to scramble over the wall. * He scrambled to his feet as we came in. * They finally scrambled ashore. * He scrambled up the cliff and raced towards the car. push / fight 2 ~ (for sth) to push, fight or compete with others in order to get or to reach sth: [V] The audience scrambled for the exits. * [Vtoinf] Shoppers were scrambling to get the best bargains. achieve sth with difficulty 3 [VN] to manage to achieve sth with difficulty, or in a hurry, without much control: Cork scrambled a 10 win over Monaghan. * Owen managed to scramble the ball into the net. eggs 4 [VN] [usuallypassive] to cook an egg by mixing the white and yellow parts together and heating them, sometimes with milk and butter: scrambled eggs telephone / radio 5 [VN] [oftenpassive] to change the way that a telephone or radio message sounds so that only people with special equipment can understand it: scrambled satellite signals confuse thoughts 6 [VN] to confuse sb's thoughts, ideas, etc. so that they have no order: Alcohol seemed to have scrambled his brain. aircraft 7 [usuallypassive] to order that planes, etc. should take off immediately in an emergency; to take off immediately in an emergency: [VN] A helicopter was scrambled to help rescue three young climbers. * [V] They scrambled as soon as the call came through. noun difficult walk / climb 1 [sing.] a difficult walk or climb over rough ground, especially one in which you have to use your hands: A scramble over the rocks takes you to the most perfect of beaches. push / fight 2 [sing.] ~ (for sth) a situation in which people push, fight or compete with each other in order to get or do sth: There was a mad scramble for the best seats. * When the manager retired, there was a scramble for his job. motorcycle race 3 [C] a race for motorcycles over rough ground