n.
Pronunciation: ' skan
Function: verb
Inflected Form: scanned ; scan · ning
Etymology: Middle English scannen, from Late Latin scandere, from Latin, to climb; akin to Middle Irish sceinnid he springs, Sanskrit skandati he leaps
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 : to read or mark so as to show metrical structure < scan poetry>
2 : to examine by point-by-point observation or checking: a : to investigate thoroughly by checking point by point and often repeatedly <a fire lookout scanning the hills with binoculars> b : to glance from point to point of often hastily, casually, or in search of a particular item < scan the want ads looking for a job>
3 a : to examine systematically (as by passing a beam of radiation over or through) in order to obtain data especially for display or storage < scanned the patient's heart> <radar scan s the horizon> < scan the photos into the computer> b : to pass over in the formation of an image <the electron beam scan s the picture tube>
intransitive verb
1 : to scan verse
2 : to conform to a metrical pattern <this poem scan s well>
synonyms see SCRUTINIZE
– scan · na · ble \ ' ska-n ə -b ə l \ adjective