scrimshaw

Origin: [[File:Scrimshaw (USA), mid-19th century (CH 18657581).jpg|thumb|A mid-19th-century scrimshaw (noun sense 1) made from a whale’s tooth, depicting a clipper flying an American flag.]] The origin of the is , but it has possibly been influenced by the surname Scrimshaw. Various etymologies have been proposed (for example, that it derives from scrimshank), but the Oxford English Dictionary does not consider any of them convincing. Following the surname theory, Etymonline ultimately derives the word probably from . The is probably derived from the verb. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).