scrutiny
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈskɹuː.tɪ.ni/
ipa: /ˈskɹuːʔ.n̩.i/
Forms: form: scrutinies
Etymology: From Middle English scrutiny, from Medieval Latin scrūtinium (“a search, an inquiry”), from Vulgar Latin scrūtor (“to search or examine thoroughly”), from Late Latin scrūta (“rubbish, broken trash”), from an extension of Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”).
Senses: examples: text: Thenceforth I thought thee worth my nearer view / And narrower scrutiny.
ref: 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 4:
text: So much for the occupant of the britscha, who waits, as all the horses are out at a ball or a scrutiny.
ref: 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 189:
text: Younger [Customs] examiners, who, perhaps, have not yet acquired the intuition resulting from years of experience, seem partly responsible for the closer examination of incoming luggage. Not only is this closer scrutiny arousing feelings of resentment among passengers, but it is causing serious delays in the departure of boat trains, many of which have been reaching their destinations two or three hours late.
ref: 1951 November, “Delays to Boat Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 719:
text: Certainly, upon closer scrutiny, it becomes apparent that current usage rather than eighteenth-century usage is the basis of the interpretation of fanny as a sexual term.
ref: 2011, Patrick Spedding, James Lambert, “Fanny Hill, Lord Fanny, and the Myth of Metonymy”, in Studies in Philology, volume 108, number 1, page 109:
glosses: Intense study of someone or something.
examples: text: come under scrutiny
text: A number of other mergers of U.S. railroads are mooted, but the I.C.C. [Interstate Commerce Commission] has made it clear that its assent to the N.& W.-Virginian proposal, which was unopposed by competitors or stockholders, should not be taken as an indication that others will swiftly pass its scrutiny.
ref: 1960 January, “Talking of Trains: N.& W.-Virginian merger”, in Trains Illustrated, page 9:
glosses: Thorough inspection of a situation or a case.
topics: Christianity
glosses: An examination of catechumens, in the last week of Lent, who were to receive baptism on Easter Day.
glosses: A ticket, or little paper billet, on which a vote is written.
examples: text: The Returning Officer on the day appointed to make a scrutiny of the poll
ref: 1872, William Dougal Christie, The Ballot, and Corruption and Expenditure at Elections:
glosses: An examination by a committee of the votes given at an election, for the purpose of correcting the poll.
Synonyms: word: examination
word: exploration
word: going-over
word: inquiry
word: inspection
word: investigation
word: perusal
word: probe
word: scan
word: study
word: survey
Derived terms: intermediate scrutiny
post-scrutiny
pre-scrutiny
scrutineer
scrutineered
scrutineering
strict scrutiny
Related terms: inscrutable
perscrutation
scrutator
scrutineer
scrutinize