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scope¹

(skōp)

1. The range of one's perceptions, thoughts, or actions: broaden one's scope by reading.

2. The opportunity or possibility to function or be active: gave her imagination broad scope. See Synonyms at room.

3. The extent of a given activity or subject that is involved, treated, or relevant: the scope of the debate. See Synonyms at range.

4. The length or sweep of a mooring cable.

5. Linguistics The range over a part of a sentence or discourse that a quantifier has an effect on.

[Italian scopo, aim, purpose, from Greek skopos, target, aim; see spek- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

scope² (skōp)

n.
Informal

A viewing instrument such as a periscope, microscope, or telescope.

tr.v. scoped, scop·ing, scopes

1. To examine or investigate, especially visually: scoped the landscape for signs of wildlife.

2. To examine using an optical instrument such as a telescope or an endoscope: scoped the stars around Orion; scoped the patient's esophagus.

Phrasal Verb:

scope out

1. To make a preliminary inspection or investigation of: "That summer ... she'd scoped out a big estate auction in Bennington and spotted a beautiful burnt-umber and deep-blue Chinese rug" (Janna Malamud Smith).

2. To seek by inspecting various possibilities: "Some of the islanders are expert fishing guides, eagerly showing up at the airport for the weekly flight from Honolulu to scope out clients" (Paul Theroux).

[From -SCOPE (as in MICROSCOPE, PERISCOPE, etc.). Verb, probably from noun (perhaps influenced by SCOPE¹).]

-scope

suff.

An instrument for viewing or observing: bronchoscope.

[New Latin -scopium, from Greek -skopion, from skopein, to see; see spek- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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