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• scan
  scan

  verb (used with object)

  to glance at or over or read hastily.
• Scan.
  Scan.

  abbreviation

  Scandinavia.

scan

¹ American  

[skan] / skæn /

verb (used with object)

• scans,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scanned,
  past participle,  past
• scanning
  present participle

1. to glance at or over or read hastily.

   to scan a page.

   Synonyms:

   skim

2. to examine the particulars or points of minutely; scrutinize.

   Synonyms:

   inspect, investigate, study

3. to peer out at or observe repeatedly or sweepingly, as a large expanse; survey.

4. to analyze (verse) as to its prosodic or metrical structure; read or recite (verse) so as to indicate or test the metrical form.

5. to read (data) for use by a computer or computerized device, especially using an optical scanner.

6. Television. to traverse (a surface) with a beam of light or electrons in order to reproduce or transmit a picture.

7. Radar. to traverse (a region) with a beam from a radar transmitter.

8. Medicine/Medical, Biology. to examine (a body, organ, tissue, or other biologically active material) with a scanner.

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verb (used without object)

• scans,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scanned,
  past participle,  past
• scanning
  present participle

1. to examine the meter of verse.

2. (of verse) to conform to the rules of meter.

3. Television. to scan a surface or the like.

noun

• scans
  plural

1. an act or instance of scanning; close examination.

2. a visual examination by means of a television camera, as for the purpose of making visible or relaying pictures from a remote place.

   a satellite scan of the dark side of the moon; video scans of property listings available to customers.

3. a particular image or frame in such video observation or a photograph made from it.

4. Medicine/Medical, Biology.

   1. examination of the body or an organ or part, or a biologically active material, by means of a technique such as computed axial tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultrasonography, or scintigraphy.

   2. the image or display so obtained.

Scan. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Scandinavia.

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scan British  

/ skæn /

verb

1. (tr) to scrutinize minutely

2. (tr) to glance over quickly

3. (tr) prosody to read or analyse (verse) according to the rules of metre and versification

4. (intr) prosody to conform to the rules of metre and versification

5. (tr) electronics to move a beam of light, electrons, etc, in a predetermined pattern over (a surface or region) to obtain information, esp either to sense and transmit or to reproduce a television image

6. (tr) to examine data stored on (magnetic tape, etc), usually in order to retrieve information

7. to examine or search (a prescribed region) by systematically varying the direction of a radar or sonar beam

8. physics to examine or produce or be examined or produced by a continuous charge of some variable

   to scan a spectrum

9. med to obtain an image of (a part of the body) by means of a scanner

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noun

1. the act or an instance of scanning

2. med

   1. the examination of a part of the body by means of a scanner

      a brain scan

      ultrasound scan

   2. the image produced by a scanner

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• scannable
  adjective
• self-scanned
  adjective
• unscannable
  adjective
• unscanned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scans
  plural

Participles

• scanning
  present
• scanned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• scan
  simple
• scans
  simple
• have scanned
  perfect
• has scanned
  perfect
• am scanning
  progressive
• are scanning
  progressive
• is scanning
  progressive
• have been scanning
  perfect progressive
• has been scanning
  perfect progressive

Past

• scanned
  simple
• had scanned
  perfect
• was scanning
  progressive
• were scanning
  progressive
• had been scanning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will scan
  simple
• will have scanned
  perfect
• will be scanning
  progressive
• will have been scanning
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of scan

1350–1400; Middle English scannen, variant of *scanden < Late Latin scandere to scan verse, Latin: to climb ( see ascend)

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Explanation

When you scan a subway car to see if your friend is on it, your eyes pass quickly across the riders. When you get a scan of your knee at the doctor's office, a much more detailed picture is taken, showing your bones, tendons, and muscles. You might need a medical scan if you are in an accident or have a terrible headache. One of the most common kinds of scans is performed on a pregnant woman, to check out the size and health of her fetus. This kind of scan is called an "ultrasound" or a "sonogram." These use sound waves to take a picture of the inside of a person's body.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scan scans scanned scanning

The researchers undertook a CT scan of the fossil, creating a 3D model of this part of the skull.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Having to walk over to scan my face would be a pain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Here’s the thing about the Neko Health scan: It’s not an MRI, so it can’t see into your organs or skeleton and check for any issues happening there.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026

A visit includes a scan, labs and other diagnostics.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

Celia puts the list in front of me, and I scan through.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Despite scans and biopsies, experts could not figure out why she was ill.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

To do that, anyone who scans the QR code on the poster has to fill out a questionnaire, upload a photo and include a link to their LinkedIn profile.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Scientists used computed tomography scans of the fossil to create detailed three-dimensional reconstructions of its anatomy.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

"They'll have further scans to see where they are and we'll have that time frame for how long they are going to be out for."

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Hilly accepts the notes from the lapdog and scans over them.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Reporters from The Assembly and ProPublica scanned a state of North Carolina website that details how to file a notice of intent to open a private school.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

To investigate the process, the researchers scanned DNA samples with atomic force microscopy, a technique capable of mapping surfaces at extremely small scales.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

Online rights campaigners at the Open Rights Group have previously warned that implementing the change would mean "every adult would be forced through a digital ID checkpoint, and private images could be scanned by default".

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

“It was systematic. They entered the depots and stole everything they could,” said Umaima Abdul-Rahman Al-Sanusi, one of the museum’s curators, as her eyes scanned a shattered display case.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

I scanned the faces of those coming out, but neither Betsie nor Nollie was there, nor anyone else from Haarlem.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

He didn’t look at me; he was already scanning the prices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

“I couldn’t picture someone who’s like 50 seeing that on the street and scanning the QR code,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

While bots are commonly associated with fake social media accounts that may post false, divisive and inflammatory content, they are also used to automate tasks like scanning web pages so they appear on search engines.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

I wouldn’t have had that interaction if I’d been scanning my own groceries.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

As we hike, Pua and the guys keep scanning the ground for mōlī.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

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Related Words

• browse
• check
• examine
• flash
• flip through
• leaf through
• look through
• scour
• search
• skim
• thumb through

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