What does the word “scrimshaw” mean?
Scrimshaw is a word caught up in controversy. Many say it comes from an old English nautical slang expression meaning “to waste time.” But others have supported origins for the word that range from America to China. While the word s origin may always be debated, it is a style of art and craft generally described as the incising, engraving, carving or fashioning of primarily ivory and bone (but may also include other natural and man-made materials) into works of art or other decorative or useful articles. A scrimshander is a person who creates works of scrimshaw.
