1768, "to walk (through or over something) without raising the feet," from Scottish, probably from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse skufa, skyfa "to shove, push aside," from PIE *skeubh- "to shove" (see shove, v.). Meaning "injure the surface of" is from 1897. Related: Scuffed; scuffing. As a noun from 1824.