MEANING
1. To look across or through something systematically, often quickly, to find or assess a feature.
2. To examine or capture information by systematically sensing successive parts.
3. To analyze the pattern of stresses or syllables in verse.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- scan the horizon
- scan a page
On the page
She scanned the horizon for the returning lights.
He scanned the page until the altered date emerged.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- scan
- Past tense
- scanned
- Past participle
- scanned
- Present participle
- scanning
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- scan
- Present continuous
- am/is/are scanning
- Present perfect
- have/has scanned
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been scanning
- Past
- scanned
- Past continuous
- was/were scanning
- Past perfect
- had scanned
- Past perfect continuous
- had been scanning
- Future
- will scan
- Future continuous
- will be scanning
- Future perfect
- will have scanned
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been scanning
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: scan; scans; scanned; scanned; scanning Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: scans.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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