Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SCAN, v.t. [Fr. scander; Sp. escander; It. scandire, scandere, to climb, to scan. The Italian is the L. 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. Atterbury.
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.