scoured

Scoured is the past participle of scour and, in English, functions as both a verb form and an adjective. Scour has a core meaning of cleaning or clearing by rubbing, scrubbing, or abrasion, and it also means to search something thoroughly or to remove material by erosion.

In cleaning contexts, scoured surfaces are those that have been scrubbed to remove dirt, grease, or burnt-on residue. Scouring pads, brushes, and detergents are used on cookware, metal, glass, and stone, and industrial processes may involve scouring to prepare surfaces for finishing or bonding.

In searching contexts, to scour a region for clues means to conduct a thorough and systematic search, often across multiple locations and methods, in pursuit of evidence, items, or information.

In geology and engineering, scouring describes the erosion of sediment or bedrock by moving water, wind, or ice. River scouring can deepen channels and form features such as potholes; around bridges and piers, scour holes can undermine foundations and require protective or corrective engineering measures. Coastal and fluvial environments may also show signs of scouring where strong currents or wave action remove substrate.

As an adjective, scoured can describe a surface that has been cleaned by scouring or a site that has been thoroughly searched. The term is commonly used with related forms such as scour and scouring to discuss cleaning, searching, or erosional processes.