I. ˈskan verb
( 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 ˈska-nə-bəl adjective
II. noun
Date: 1706
1. : the act or process of scanning
2. : a radar or television trace
3. : an image formed by scanning something: as
a. : a depiction (as a photograph) of the distribution of a radioactive material in something (as a bodily organ)
b. : an image of a bodily part produced (as by computer) by combining ultrasonic or radiographic data obtained from several angles or sections