scan

/skæn/
noun
  1. An act of looking at something quickly or carefully.
    • A quick scan of the menu showed that they had pizza.
    • The teacher did a scan of the classroom to see who was paying attention.
    • He gave the report a brief scan before the meeting.
  2. An image or copy produced by a scanner.
    • The scan of the painting was very clear.
    • She sent me a scan of her driver's license.
    • I saved the scan of my contract as a PDF.
  3. A medical examination using an imaging machine.
    • He had a brain scan to check for tumors.
    • The doctor ordered a scan of her abdomen.
    • The scan showed that the bone was not broken.
verb
  1. To look at something quickly or carefully, often to find specific information.
    • She scanned the newspaper headlines while waiting for the bus.
    • I scanned the room for an empty seat.
    • The security guard scanned the crowd for any suspicious activity.
  2. To use a machine to read or copy an image, document, or code into a digital form.
    • Please scan your passport and email it to the office.
    • The cashier scanned the barcode on the cereal box.
    • He scanned the old photo to save it on his computer.
  3. To examine a body part using a medical imaging machine (such as an MRI or CT scanner).
    • The doctor will scan your knee to see if there is any damage.
    • They scanned her brain to look for signs of injury.
    • After the accident, they scanned his chest to check for broken ribs.
  4. To read or analyze data or text automatically, often for errors or patterns.
    • The system scans all incoming emails for spam.
    • The app scans the text and highlights any spelling mistakes.
    • The antivirus software scans your computer for viruses every day.