scan
SKAN
/skæn/
A medical examination using a scanner; to look through something quickly or systematically.
In medicine, it's a shorthand for CT, MRI, or PET scans.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'scandere' (to climb). It originally referred to 'scanning' verse (measuring the rhythm of poetry), which felt like climbing up and down the lines.
Word relationships
- examine: Examine is general; scan implies the use of technology or a systematic sweep.
Commonly confused with
- skim: In reading, skim is for the gist; scan is for specific details. In medicine, scan is always thorough.
Word family
- scanner (noun): The machine that performs a scan.
Collocations
- brain scan
- full-body scan
- ultrasound scan
- scan results
Example sentences
- "The doctor ordered a CT scan to check for internal bleeding after the accident." Hospital visit
- "She scanned the horizon for any sign of the ship." General usage
Memory hook
A scan 'climbs' through your body layer by layer. Layer-by-layer look.
When not to use
In reading, 'scanning' means looking for specific info; in medicine, it's a deep technical look.
Fun facts
- The first CT scan took several hours to produce a single image.
Related words
Explore more words
inspect, scrutinize, canvass, searching, take a look, inspection
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