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- Dictionaryscan/skan/
verb
- 1. look at all parts of (something) carefully in order to detect some feature: "he raised his binoculars to scan the coast" Similar
- 2. cause (a surface, object, or part of the body) to be traversed by a detector or an electromagnetic beam: "their brains are scanned so that researchers can monitor the progress of the disease"
noun
- 1. an act of scanning someone or something: "a quick scan of the sports page" Similar
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scan: [verb] to read or mark so as to show metrical structure.
SCAN definition: 1. to look at something carefully, with the eyes or with a machine, in order to get information…. Learn more.
Scan definition: to glance at or over or read hastily. See examples of SCAN used in a sentence.
11 meanings: 1. to scrutinize minutely 2. to glance over quickly 3. prosody to read or analyse (verse) according to the rules.... Click for more definitions.
Word Origin late Middle English (as a verb in sense (5)): from Latin scandere ‘climb’ (in late Latin ‘scan (verses)’), by analogy with the raising and lowering of one's foot when marking rhythm. From ‘analyse (metre)’ arose the senses ‘estimate the correctness of’ and ‘examine minutely’, which led to ‘look at searchingly’ (late 18th cent.).
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.
Define scan. scan synonyms, scan pronunciation, scan translation, English dictionary definition of scan. v. scanned , scan·ning , scans v. tr. 1. a. To look at carefully or thoroughly, especially in search of something; examine: The sailor scanned the horizon...
SCAN definition: 1. to examine something with a machine that can see inside an object or body: 2. to use a piece of…. Learn more.
Jun 15, 2024 · scan (third-person singular simple present scans, present participle scanning, simple past and past participle scanned) ( transitive ) To examine sequentially, carefully, or critically; to scrutinize ; to behold closely.
Scan is a verb and a noun that means to examine something quickly or in detail, using a machine or your eyes. Find out how to use it in different contexts and situations in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.
