scan
verb /skæn/
/skæn/
Verb Forms
Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they scan | /skæn/ /skæn/ |
| he / she / it scans | /skænz/ /skænz/ |
| past simple scanned | /skænd/ /skænd/ |
| past participle scanned | /skænd/ /skænd/ |
| -ing form scanning | /ˈskænɪŋ/ /ˈskænɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to look quickly but not very carefully at a document, etc.
- scan something for something I scanned the list quickly for my name.
- scan something We quickly scanned the menu.
- scan through something (for something) She scanned through the newspaper over breakfast.
- scan for something You should teach students to scan for essential information.
Extra Examples- I scanned the paper for news.
- He scanned through the web pages.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- anxiously
- frantically
- …
- for
- across
- around
- …
- [transitive] to look at every part of something carefully, especially because you are looking for a particular thing or person synonym scrutinize
- scan something for something He scanned the horizon for any sign of land.
- She scanned the room for an empty seat.
- scan something She scanned his face anxiously.
- She scanned the street nervously, looking for the two men.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- anxiously
- frantically
- …
- for
- across
- around
- …
- [transitive] (computing) to pass light over a picture or document using a scanner in order to copy it and put it in the memory of a computer
- scan something How do I scan a photo and attach it to an email?
- digitally scanned photographs
- This recognizes text in a scanned image.
- scan something into something The pencil image is scanned into a computer.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- automatically
- digitally
- electronically
- …
- [transitive] scan something to get an image of an object, a part of somebody’s body, etc. on a computer by passing X-rays, ultrasound waves or electromagnetic waves over it in a special machine
- Their brains are scanned so that researchers can monitor the progress of the disease.
- [transitive] scan something (of a light, radar, etc.) to pass across an area
- Concealed video cameras scan every part of the compound.
- [intransitive, transitive] scan (something) (computing) (of a program) to examine a computer program or document in order to look for a virus
- This software is designed to scan all new files for viruses.
- [intransitive] (of poetry) to have a regular rhythm according to fixed rules
- This line doesn't scan.
Word Originlate 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.).