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n. 1. An uneasy feeling arising from conscience or principle that tends to hinder action: "He would have taken any life with as little scruple as he took my money" (Charles Dickens). 2. A unit of apothecary weight equal to about 1.3 grams, or 20 grains. 3. A minute part or amount. intr.v. scru·pled, scru·pling, scru·ples To hesitate as a result of conscience or principle: "A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket" (John Dennis). [Middle English scrupul, from Old French scrupule, from Latin scrūpulus, small unit of measurement, scruple, diminutive of scrūpus, rough stone, scruple.] |
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