scan

A close investigation.

Noun

  1. A close investigation.

    Synonyms: perusal

    1. Of written things, a careful reading.

    2. Of written things, a cursory reading: a skim.

      Synonyms: perusal

  2. An instance of scanning.
    • The operators vacated the room during the scan.
    • In the dispute with the RMT about scanning tickets, Jackson said it was the right thing to do to pay conductors something to scan tickets. Northern pays two pence per scan, Jackson noted, adding that ticket scanning...
  3. The result or output of a scanning process.
    • The doctors looked at the scans and made a diagnosis.
  4. A higher-order function that applies a binary operation to a sequence of values, starting with an accumulator, and returns a new sequence with the results.

Origin

From late Middle English scanne (“to mark off verse to show metrical structure”), from earlier scanden, from Late Latin scandere (“to scan verse”), from Classical Latin scandō (“to climb, rise, mount”), from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to jump, dart, climb, scale, scan”).

Forms

scans

Related

pan and scan scanlate scanlation scanlator scanner

Derived

bioscan body scan bone scan bootscan brainscan B-scan cardioscan CAT scan con-scan CT scan downscan egoscan fluoroscan helical scan hitscan interscan introscan keyscan line scan livescan microscan misscan moisture scan multiscan

Verb

  1. To examine sequentially, carefully, or critically; to scrutinize; to behold closely.
    • She scanned the passage carefully but could not find what she was looking for.
    • He scanned the horizon.
    • Yet the incident did not in the least diminish my respect for my teacher. I was by nature blind to the faults of elders. Later I came to know of many other failings of this teacher, but my regard for him remained the...

    1. (computing, transitive) To inspect, analyse or go over, often to find something.

      • to scan the hard drive for errors
  2. To look about for; to look over quickly.

    1. (computing, transitive) To perform lexical analysis; to tokenize.

  3. To create an image of something with the use of a scanner.
    • to scan a photograph
    • to scan internal organs by means of computed tomography
    • Pencil drawings don't scan very well.
  4. To read with an electronic device.
    • to scan a barcode
    • to scan a QR code
    • In the dispute with the RMT about scanning tickets, Jackson said it was the right thing to do to pay conductors something to scan tickets. Northern pays two pence per scan, Jackson noted, adding that ticket scanning...
  5. To mount by steps; to go through with step by step.
    • But ere these matchless heights I dare to scan, / There is a spot should not be pass'd in vain,— / Morat ! the proud, the patriot field ! where man / May gaze on ghastly trophies of the slain,[…] - 1816, Lord Byron,...
  6. To read or mark so as to show a specific metre.
    • In such cases as these, almost any one with a good ear will "scan" the verse correctly enough without instruction. It is not proposed to give here a list of Shakspere's slurred and contracted words; […] - 1886, Francis...
  7. To conform to a metrical structure.
    • You're right, sir, it doesn't scan very well in the English, but in the Gaelic it's sheer poetry. Have you the Gaelic? - 1998, Milton Acorn, Cedric Smith, edited by James Deahl, The Road to Charlottetown: A Play, UnMon...

Forms

scans scanning scanned

Related

scansion

Derived

backscan descan forescan misscan prescan radioscan rescan scannability scannable