SCAN, verb transitive [Latin ascendo. See Ascend.] 1. To examine with critical care; to scrutinize. The actions of men in high stations are all conspicuous, and liable to be scanned and sifted. 2. To examine a verse by counting the feet; or according to modern usage, to recite or measure verse by distinguishing the feet in pronunciation. Thus in Latin and Greek, a hexameter verse is resolved into six feet by scanning, and the true quantities are determined.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI