scan

scan — verb

1. to look closely across a whole area, surface, or document — often with a device

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to look closely across a whole area, surface, or document — often with a device or just your eyes — hoping to spot a particular person, object, or detail you need.

Example

Beatriz scanned the crowded square for her missing brother.

scan + noun phrase + for + [target]

The security guard scanned every bag at the entrance before letting anyone in.

Common collocations
  • scan the room
  • scan the horizon
  • scan for clues
  • scan with binoculars
  • carefully scan
Synonyms
  • examine

    more general and can be slower and more thorough than scan

  • scrutinize

    suggests even closer, more critical attention; more formal

  • survey

    often refers to looking over a broad area from above or from a distance

Antonyms
  • overlook

    to fail to notice something despite looking

Grammar Patterns

scan + noun phrase

scan + noun phrase + for + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often used with 'for' to specify what the searcher hopes to find. The subject is typically a person or a device designed to examine surfaces or areas.

Common Mistakes

I scanned the book from cover to cover in one night' (when meaning 'read thoroughly').
I skimmed the book from cover to cover in one night.
'scan' for this sense means looking for something specific, not reading everything in detail.

2. to run your eyes over a piece of writing quickly, skipping many words, with the

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to run your eyes over a piece of writing quickly, skipping many words, with the goal of spotting a specific fact or grasping the key ideas without reading every sentence.

Example

Diya scanned the article looking only for mentions of the new policy.

scan + noun phrase + for + [information]

Before the meeting, Henrik scanned the agenda to check the time of his presentation.

Common collocations
  • scan the document
  • scan the page
  • quickly scan
  • scan for information
  • scan through
Synonyms
  • skim

    very similar, but 'skim' focuses on getting the general idea, while 'scan' focuses on locating a specific detail

  • browse

    more casual and less purposeful; suggests looking at items without a clear target

  • glance through

    even faster and less detailed than scan; more informal

Grammar Patterns

scan + noun phrase

scan + noun phrase + for + noun phrase

Usage Note

Common in academic and professional contexts where readers need to locate specific information quickly. Distinguish from sense 1: in sense 1 the person looks at every part of a physical space, whereas in sense 2 the person moves rapidly through text.

Common Mistakes

I scanned my emails thoroughly and replied to each one.
I glanced through my emails and replied to each one.
'scanning' implies speed and selectivity, not thoroughness.

3. to operate a device that passes light across a picture, page, or item, producing

3.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to operate a device that passes light across a picture, page, or item, producing a digital copy that can be saved on a PC; a second meaning describes medical equipment that beams energy through a person's body to create internal images for diagnosis.

Example

Jin scanned the signed contract and emailed the PDF to the lawyer.

scan + noun phrase + and + action with result

The hospital will scan his injured knee to check for ligament damage.

Common collocations
  • scan a document
  • scan into a computer
  • scan a QR code
  • scan for injuries
  • have something scanned
Synonyms
  • digitise

    broader term for converting any format into digital form; more technical

  • copy

    simpler and more general; does not specify the method

  • image

    technical term used in medical contexts (e.g., 'image the liver')

Grammar Patterns

scan + noun phrase

scan + noun phrase + into + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'into' (scan something into a computer) for document copying, and with 'for' (scan a knee for injuries) in medical contexts. The passive construction 'be scanned' is very common: 'All luggage is scanned at the airport.'

Common Mistakes

I scanned a copy of the book.' (ambiguous — could mean I read it quickly or digitised it).
I scanned a copy of the book into the computer.
add 'into the computer' to make the meaning clear.

4. when a line of poetry follows a regular and correct pattern of stressed and unst

4.verbintransitiveC2
Definition

when a line of poetry follows a regular and correct pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables according to the rules of metrical analysis.

Example

Kofi read his poem aloud in class, then frowned and said the third line did not scan.

did not scan — negative construction for flawed meter

Before judging the poem, the professor asked whether every line scanned according to iambic pentameter.

line + scans + according to + [metrical rule]

Grammar Patterns

noun phrase (poem, line, verse) + scans

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used in literary discussion of verse. The subject is always a poem or a line of poetry. Common negative construction: 'does not scan' means the meter is flawed.

Phrasal verbs

scan in

phrasal verb

To use a machine to copy a document or image into a computer.

Maya scanned in her passport photo for the online form.

Did you scan in the contract before sending it?

scan into

phrasal verb

To use a machine to copy a document or image directly into a specific computer file or program.

Brian scanned the receipt into his expense report.

Please scan these notes into the shared folder.

scan — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four words describe looking at text, but they differ in purpose and depth. 'Scan' means moving the eyes quickly over text to find a specific fact or detail — you know what you are looking for. 'Skim' also involves fast reading, but the goal is to get the overall idea or gist rather than a particular piece of data. 'Browse' is more casual: you look at texts, websites, or items without a fixed target, letting your attention wander until something catches your interest. 'Examine' is much slower and more thorough — you look at every detail carefully, often to evaluate or analyse. For example, a student might scan a textbook page for the date of a battle, skim the same page to understand what the chapter is about, browse a library shelf for something interesting to read, or examine a historical document letter by letter for research.

scan ↗skim ↗browse ↗examine ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • scan the area
  • scan the text
  • have a scan
  • scan for errors
  • scan into a computer

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinEnglish

The word 'scan' comes from the Latin 'scandere', meaning 'to climb'. In medieval Latin, it was used for analysing verse by 'climbing' through the metrical feet of a poem. This literary meaning was the original English sense when the word entered the language. In the 20th century, 'scan' broadened to describe how electronic devices 'climb' across a surface — first in television and radar technology (passing a beam over an area), then in document copying and medical imaging. Today the verb also retains its everyday senses of looking carefully or quickly at a space or text.