scan

1 verb scanned, scanning

1 (T) to examine an area carefully, because you are looking for a particular person or thing: He scanned the horizon ahead, but there was no sign of the convoy.

(+ for): The police scanned the whole area but found no trace of her body.

2 also scan through (I, T) to read something quickly in order to understand its main meaning or to find some particular information: I scanned the page quickly for her name.

3 (T) if a machine scans an object or a part of your body, it passes a beam 1 (16) of electron 1 (16) s over it to produce a picture of what is inside: All luggage has to be scanned at the airport.

—see also: scanner (1)

4 (T) if a machine or instrument scans an area it searches it with radar or sonar: The ship scanned the area ahead for enemy submarines.

5 technical

a) (I) poetry that scans has a correct regular pattern of beats

b) (T) to find or show a regular pattern of beats in a poem or line of poetry

—see also: scansion 2 noun (C)

1 the act of scanning something

2 a test done by a scanner (=special machine for producing a picture): a brain scan

3 an image of an unborn baby, produced by a scanner: The scan showed the baby was normal.