Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - scold

 I. noun  Etymology: Middle English scald, ~, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skald poet, skald, Icelandic skalda to make scurrilous verse  Date: 12th century  1.  a. one who ~s habitually or persistently  b. a woman who disturbs the public peace by noisy and quarrelsome or abusive behavior  2. ~ing  II. verb  Date: 14th century  intransitive verb  1. obsolete to quarrel noisily  2. to find fault noisily or angrily  transitive verb to censure severely or angrily ; rebuke  • ~er noun Synonyms:  ~, upbraid, berate, rail, revile, vituperate mean to reproach angrily and abusively. ~ implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper justly or unjustly angrily ~ing the children. upbraid implies censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds upbraided her assistants for poor research. berate suggests prolonged and often abusive ~ing berated continually by an overbearing boss. rail (at or against) stresses an unrestrained berating railed loudly at their insolence. revile implies a scurrilous, abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred an alleged killer reviled in the press. vituperate suggests a violent reviling was vituperated for betraying his friends.