extent or range of view, outlook, application, operation, effectiveness, etc.: an investigation of wide scope.
2.
space for movement or activity; opportunity for operation: to give one's fancy full scope.
3.
extent in space; a tract or area.
4.
length: a scope of cable.
5.
aim or purpose.
6.
Linguistics,Logic. the range of words or elements of an expression over which a modifier or operator has control: In “old men and women,” “old” may either take “men and women” or just “men” in its scope.
7.
(used as a short form of microscope, oscilloscope, periscope, radarscope, riflescope, telescopic sight, etc.)
–verb (used with object)
8.
Slang. to look at, read, or investigate, as in order to evaluate or appreciate.
—Verb phrase
9.
scope out, Slang.
a.
to look at or over; examine; check out: a rock musician scoping out the audience before going on stage.
b.
to master; figure out: By the time we'd scoped out the problem, it was too late.
[Origin: 1525–35; < It scopo < Gk skopós aim, mark to shoot at; akin to skopeǐn to look at (see -scope)]
The range of one's perceptions, thoughts, or actions.
Breadth or opportunity to function. See Synonyms at room.
The area covered by a given activity or subject. See Synonyms at range.
The length or sweep of a mooring cable.
Informal A viewing instrument such as a periscope, microscope, or telescope.
tr.v.
scoped, scop·ing, scopesSlang
To examine or investigate. Often used with out:"Their World Wide Web site is, for now, the best place to scope out the future of the media business in cyberspace."(Marc Gunther).
[Italian scopo, aim, purpose, from Greek skopos, target, aim; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
"extent," 1534, "room to act," from It. scopo "aim, purpose, object, thing aimed at, mark, target," from L. scopus, from Gk. skopos "aim, target, watcher," from PIE *spek- "to observe" (cf. Skt. spasati "sees;" Avestan spasyeiti "spies;" Gk. skopein "behold, look, consider," skeptesthai "to look at;" L. specere "to look at;" O.H.G. spehhon "to spy," Ger. spähen "to spy"). Sense of "distance the mind can reach, extent of view" first recorded c.1600.
"instrument for viewing," 1872, abstracted from telescope, microscope, etc., from Gk. skopein "to look." Earlier used as a shortening of horoscope (1603). The verb is recorded from 1807.
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"; "a piano has a greater range than the human voice"; "the ambit of municipal legislation"; "within the compass of this article"; "within the scope of an investigation"; "outside the reach of the law"; "in the political orbit of a world power"
2.
the state of the environment in which a situation exists; "you can't do that in a university setting" [syn: setting]
3.
a magnifier of images of distant objects [syn: telescope]
4.
electronic equipment that provides visual images of varying electrical quantities [syn: oscilloscope]
scopeprogramming The scope of an identifier is the region of a program source within which it represents a certain thing. This usually extends from the place where it is declared to the end of the smallest enclosing block (begin/end or procedure/function body). An inner block may contain a redeclaration of the same identifier in which case the scope of the outer declaration does not include (is "shadowed" or "occluded" by) the scope of the inner. See also activation record, dynamic scope, lexical scope. (1994-11-01)
-scope\ [Gr. skopo`s a watcher, spy. See Scope.] A combining form usually signifying an instrument for viewing (with the eye) or observing (in any way); as in microscope, telescope, altoscope, anemoscope.
Scope\, n. [It. scopo, L. scopos a mark, aim, Gr. skopo`s, a watcher, mark, aim; akin to ?, ? to view, and perh. to E. spy. Cf. Skeptic, Bishop.]1. That at which one aims; the thing or end to which the mind directs its view; that which is purposed to be reached or accomplished; hence, ultimate design, aim, or purpose; intention; drift; object. "Shooting wide, do miss the marked scope." --Spenser. Your scope is as mine own, So to enforce or qualify the laws As to your soul seems good. --Shak. The scope of all their pleading against man's authority, is to overthrow such laws and constitutions in the church. --Hooker. 2. Room or opportunity for free outlook or aim; space for action; amplitude of opportunity; free course or vent; liberty; range of view, intent, or action. Give him line and scope. --Shak. In the fate and fortunes of the human race, scope is given to the operation of laws which man must always fail to discern the reasons of. --I. Taylor. Excuse me if I have given too much scope to the reflections which have arisen in my mind. --Burke. An intellectual cultivation of no moderate depth or scope. --Hawthorne. 3. Extended area. [Obs.] "The scopes of land granted to the first adventurers." --Sir J. Davies. 4. Length; extent; sweep; as, scope of cable.
Skep"tic\, n. [Gr. skeptiko`s thoughtful, reflective, fr. ske`ptesqai to look carefully or about, to view, consider: cf. L. scepticus, F. sceptique. See Scope.] [Written also sceptic.]1. One who is yet undecided as to what is true; one who is looking or inquiring for what is true; an inquirer after facts or reasons. 2. (Metaph.) A doubter as to whether any fact or truth can be certainly known; a universal doubter; a Pyrrhonist; hence, in modern usage, occasionally, a person who questions whether any truth or fact can be established on philosophical grounds; sometimes, a critical inquirer, in opposition to a dogmatist. All this criticism [of Hume] proceeds upon the erroneous hypothesis that he was a dogmatist. He was a skeptic; that is, he accepted the principles asserted by the prevailing dogmatism: and only showed that such and such conclusions were, on these principles, inevitable. --Sir W. Hamilton. 3. (Theol.) A person who doubts the existence and perfections of God, or the truth of revelation; one who disbelieves the divine origin of the Christian religion. Suffer not your faith to be shaken by the sophistries of skeptics. --S. Clarke. Note: This word and its derivatives are often written with c instead of k in the first syllable, -- sceptic, sceptical, scepticism, etc. Dr. Johnson, struck with the extraordinary irregularity of giving c its hard sound before e, altered the spelling, and his example has been followed by most of the lexicographers who have succeeded him; yet the prevalent practice among English writers and printers is in favor of the other mode. In the United States this practice is reversed, a large and increasing majority of educated persons preferring the orthography which is most in accordance with etymology and analogy. Syn: Infidel; unbeliever; doubter. -- See Infidel.
Spy\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spied; p. pr. & vb. n. Spying.] [OE. spien, espien, OF. espier, F. ['e]pier, OHG. speh?n, G. sp["a]hen; akin to L. specere to see, Skr. spa(?). ? 169. Cf. Espy, v.t., Aspect, Auspice, Circumspect, Conspicuouc, Despise, Frontispiece, Inspect, Prospect, Respite, Scope, Scecimen, Spectacle, Specter, Speculate, Spice, Spite, Suspicion.] To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see. One in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration. --Swift. 2. To discover by close search or examination. Look about with yout eyes; spy what things are to be reformed in the church of England. --Latimer. 3. To explore; to view; inspect; and examine secretly, as a country; -- usually with out. Moses sent to spy Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof. --Num. xxi. 32.
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