scanned; scanning
1
: to read or mark so as to show metrical structure
scan poetry
2
: to examine by point-by-point observation or checking:
a
: to investigate thoroughly by checking point by point and often repeatedly
a fire lookout scanning the hills with binoculars
b
: to glance from point to point of often hastily, casually, or in search of a particular item
scan the want ads looking for a job
3
a
: to examine systematically (as by passing a beam of radiation over or through) in order to obtain data especially for display or storage
scanned the patient's heart
radar scans the horizon
scan the photos into the computer
b
: to pass over in the formation of an image
the electron beam scans the picture tube
1
: the act or process of scanning
2
: a radar or television trace
3
: an image formed by scanning something: such as
a
: a depiction (such as a photograph) of the distribution of a radioactive material in something (such as a bodily organ)
b
: an image of a bodily part produced (as by computer) by combining ultrasonic or radiographic data obtained from several angles or sections
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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