scan

¹

[skan]

verb (used with object)

scanned, scanning 

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.

verb (used without object)

scanned, scanning 

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

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

abbreviation

1. Scandinavia.

scan

/ 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

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of scan¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of scan¹

C14: from Late Latin scandere to scan (verse), from Latin: to climb

Example Sentences

Then I scan my fingerprint on a remote mounted next to my porcelain throne, which allows multiple people to authenticate their personal sessions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

To use the app, people have to scan their faces and read out three numbers displayed on screen for the system to capture a voice signature.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

County Board of Supervisors pushed to restrict how their license plates are scanned by law enforcement.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A TV presenter has described how she has had to fight for treatment and scans as she battles breast cancer.

Read more on BBC

The result is that no one can go anywhere in public without eyeing the emergency exits and scanning the crowd for trouble.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• browse 
• check 
• examine 
• flash 
• flip through 
• leaf through 
• look through 
• scour 
• search 
• skim 
• thumb through www.thesaurus.com