SCAN

scan

(noun) the act of scanning; systematic examination of a prescribed region; “he made a thorough scan of the beach with his binoculars”

scan, CAT scan

(noun) an image produced by scanning; “he analyzed the brain scan”; “you could see the tumor in the CAT scan”

read, scan

(verb) obtain data from magnetic tapes or other digital sources; “This dictionary can be read by the computer”

scan

(verb) read metrically; “scan verses”

scan

(verb) make a wide, sweeping search of; “The beams scanned the night sky”

scan

(verb) move a light beam over; in electronics, to reproduce an image

scan, skim, rake, glance over, run down

(verb) examine hastily; “She scanned the newspaper headlines while waiting for the taxi”

scan

(verb) examine minutely or intensely; “the surgeon scanned the X-ray”

scan

(verb) conform to a metrical pattern

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

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. [from 16th C.]

(transitive) To look about for; to look over quickly. [from 19th C.]

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

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

(computing, transitive) To create a digital copy of an image using a scanner.

(computing, transitive) To read with an electronic device.

(obsolete, transitive, originally) To mount by steps; to go through with step by step.

(poetry, transitive) To read or mark so as to show a specific meter. [from 14th C.]

(intransitive) To conform to a metrical structure.

Usage notes

• The contranym status of the word is discussed at peruse § Usage notes.

Noun

scan (plural scans)

Close investigation. [from 1700s]

(computing) An instance of scanning.

(computing) The result or output of a scanning process.

Anagrams

• ANCs, CNAs, CNSA, NCSA, NSCA, cans

Source: Wiktionary

Scan, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scanned; p. pr. & vb. n. Scanning.] Etym: [L. scandere, scansum, to climb, to scan, akin to Skr. skand to spring, leap: cf. F. scander. Cf. Ascend, Descend, Scale a ladder.]

1. To mount by steps; to go through with step by step. [Obs.] Nor stayed till she the highest stage had scand. Spenser.

2. Specifically (Pros.), to go through with, as a verse, marking and distinguishing the feet of which it is composed; to show, in reading, the metrical structure of; to recite metrically.

3. To go over and examine point by point; to examine with care; to look closely at or into; to scrutinize. The actions of men in high stations are all conspicuous, and liable to be scanned and sifted. Atterbury.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition