Scoring

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The act of earning points in sports or competitions ; the process of cutting shallow lines or grooves into a material ; the evaluation or ranking of items by assigning values or grades
2. Achieving points by successfully performing in contests or games ; creating fine incisions or notches on surfaces for shaping or breaking ; judging or measuring quality or performance through assigned scores
3. Gaining points that contribute to a final total in a competitive event ; marking a surface lightly to guide cutting or fitting ; appraising and giving numerical or qualitative assessments to entries or responses

Etymology: The sense of "scoring" as earning points in a game grew out of a very physical idea: making a mark. Its root, "score," originally meant a groove, notch or cut, the kind made by carving a tally into wood or stone. Keeping count by notching a stick was an ancient way to track debts and quantities, and each notch was a "score." The word is related to "shear" and "scar," which share the same underlying root meaning to cut or split. Over time, the notches became the record of the count itself, so "score" came to mean a tally of points or a number kept in an account. The gerund "scoring" follows the same path, taking the activity of making the marks and applying it to the act of winning points in a game, where each point is effectively a new notch on the tally.

Synonyms: grading, evaluating, marking, rating, assessing

Antonyms: failing, misjudging, neglecting, overlooking, disregarding