scruple
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈskɹuːpəl/
ipa: /ˈskɹupəl/
rhymes: -uːpəl
Forms: form: scruples
Etymology: From Old French scrupule, from Latin scrūpulus (“(literally) a small sharp or pointed stone; the twenty-fourth part of an ounce; uneasiness of mind, anxiety, doubt, trouble; scruple”), diminutive of scrūpus (“a rough or sharp stone; anxiety, uneasiness”); perhaps akin to Ancient Greek σκύρος (skúros, “the chippings of stone”), from ξυρόν (xurón, “razor”), from ξύω (xúō, “to scrape”), from Proto-Indo-European *ksunyo-. Doublet of escropulo and escrupulo.
Senses: examples: text: Before her flew Affliction, girt in ſtorms, / Gaſht all with guſhing wounds; and all the formes / Of bane, and miſerie, frowning in her face; / Whom Tyrannie, and Iniuſtice, had in Chace; / Grimme Perſecution, Pouertie, and Shame; / Detraction, Enuie, foule Mishap and lame; / Scruple of Conſcience; Feare, Deceipt, Deſpaire; / Slaunder, and Clamor, that rent all the Ayre; […]
ref: 1609, Geo[rge] Chapman, “Conclusio”, in Evthymiæ Raptvs; or The Teares of Peace: With Interlocutions, London: Printed by H. L. for Rich[ard] Bonian, and H. Walley, and are to be solde at the spread-eagle, neere the great North-door of S. Pauls Church, →OCLC:
text: [U]ntil the Commonwealth [of England] torture was constantly used as an instrument of evidence in the investigation of offences, whether municipal or political, without scruple, and without question as to its legality.
ref: 1837, David Jardine, A Reading on the Use of Torture in the Criminal Law of England previously to the Commonwealth; Delivered at New Inn Hall in Michaelmas Term, 1836, by Appointment of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, London: Baldwin and Cradock, →OCLC, page 16:
text: The four chief sins of which he was guilty were dancing, ringing the bells of the parish church, playing at tipcat, and reading the History of Sir Bevis of Southampton. A Rector of the school of [William] Laud would have held such a young man up to the whole parish as a model. But [John] Bunyan's notions of good and evil had been learned in a very different school; and he was made miserable by the conflict between his tastes and his scruples.
ref: 1857, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “John Bunyan”, in Biographical Essays. … Frederic the Great.—Bunyan.—Goldsmith.—Johnson.—Barère (Collection of British Authors; CCCCV), Tauchniz edition, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchniz, →OCLC, page 99:
text: Ricky, I'm going to miss you. Apparently you're the only one in Casablanca with less scruples than I.
ref: 1942, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch, Casablanca, spoken by Captain Renault (Claude Rains):
glosses: Hesitation to act from the difficulty of determining what is right or expedient; doubt, hesitation or unwillingness due to motives of conscience; moral qualm.
examples: text: The Oyle ſerueth in many operations, and ſpecially in all colde diſeaſes, if they be inwardly, give thereof euerye morning one ſcruple to drinke, and if they be outward annoynt.
ref: 1580, Leonardo Fioravanti, “To Make Oyle of Frankensence”, in John Hester, transl., A Short Discours of the Excellent Doctour and Knight, Maister Leonardo Phioravanti Bolognese vppon Chirurgerie. With a Declaration of Many Thinges, Necessarie to be Knowne, neuer Written before in this Order: Whereunto is Added a Number of Notable Secretes, Found out by the saide Author. Translated out of Italyan into English, by Iohn Hester, Practicioner in the Arte of Distillation, London: Imprinted at London by Thomas East, →OCLC, folio 17, recto:
text: Bezoar (Horſe) called Hypolites, excites Sweat, reſiſts Poiſon, kills the Worms, and ſtops a Looſeneſs; the Doſe is from half a Scruple to two Scruples.
ref: 1725, [Noël] Chomel, “BEZOAR-STONE”, in R[ichard] Bradley, editor, Dictionaire Oeconomique: Or, The Family Dictionary. […], volume I (A–H), London: […] D[aniel] Midwinter, […], →OCLC:
text: Marcus Empiricus, a Roma physician, prescribed three scruples of cress, three of red onion, three of pine seed, three of Indian nard, for impotence.
ref: 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 70:
synonyms: word: s.ap.
qualifier: pharmacy
glosses: A weight of ¹⁄₂₈₈ of a pound, that is, twenty grains or one third of a dram, about 1.3 grams (symbol: ℈).
examples: text: If it be ask'd why the Jews divide the Hour into 1080 Scruples, the Author of the Neomeniæ ſet forth by Munſter gives this reaſon fo it, becauſe there is no number that is diviſible into ſo many ſorts as this of 1080 is; for it may be divided by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, &c.
ref: 1704, Giles Strauchius [i.e., Aegidius Strauch II], “Of Minutes, Scruples and Moments”, in Richard Sault, transl., Breviarium Chronologicum. Or A Treatise Describing the Terms and Most Celebrated Characters, Periods and Epocha’s Used in Chronology. By Giles Strauchius, D.D. and Publick Professor in the University of Wittebergh. Now Done into English from the Third Edition, in Latin. By Richard Sault, F.R.S., 2nd corrected edition, London: Printed for A. Bosvile at the Dial and Bible against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street, →OCLC, book I (Of some Terms in Chronology, and those the Most Common), § 3, page 8:
text: The Mahometan year consists of 12 lunar months, each containing 29 days, 12 hours and 792 scruples; (1080 scruples = 1 hour) so that the year contains 354 days, 8 hours and 864 scruples.
ref: [1812, Thomas Watson, “Chronology”, in An Useful Compendium of Many Important and Curious Branches of Science and General Knowledge, Digested, Principally, in Plain and Instructive Tables, to which are Added, some Rational Recreations in Numbers, with Easy and Expeditious Methods of Constructing Magic Squares, and Specimens of Some in the Higher Class, London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, Paternoster Row; C. Law, Ave-Maria Lane; by and for R. Rodgers, Whitby, →OCLC, section 4 (The Mahometan Year), page 38:
text: The most ancient hour was divided into 1,080 scruples. The Jews suppose Issachar to have brought it from heaven.
ref: 1864 July 23, George Greenwood, “East of the Jordan”, in The Athenæum: Journal of English and Foreign Literature, Science, and the Fine Arts, number 1917, London: Printed by James Holmes, Took's Court, Chancery Lane, published at the office, 20, Wellington Street, Strand, W.C., by John Francis. [...], →OCLC, page 116, column 1:
glosses: A Hebrew unit of time equal to ¹⁄₁₀₈₀ hour.
examples: text: Why euery thing adheres togither, that no dramme of a ſcruple, no ſcruple of a ſcruple, no obſtacle, no incredulous or unſafe circumſtance: What can be ſaide? Nothing that can be, can come betweene me, and the full proſpect of my hopes.
ref: c. 1600–1601, William Shakespeare, “Tvvelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies, London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, act III, scene iv, page 267, column 2:
synonyms: word: ace
word: tinge
word: atom
word: trace element
word: aught
word: bissel
word: bit
word: crumb
word: glimpse
word: dab
word: damn
word: dash
word: diddly
word: glint
word: dot
word: spatter
word: drop
word: dusting
word: fleck
word: hint
word: flip
word: flyspeck
word: grain
word: halfpennyworth
word: inch
word: iota
word: jot
word: lick
word: mite
word: modicum
word: molecule
word: morceau
word: morsel
word: mote
word: ooch
word: ounce
word: particle
word: pennyworth
word: piece
word: pinch
word: scantling
word: semblance
word: scent
word: scintilla
word: scooch
word: scrap
word: scruple
word: shred
word: skerrick
word: skoosh
word: skosh
word: sliver
word: smattering
word: smidge
word: smidgen
word: smidget
word: smidgy
word: smitch
word: smithereen
word: soupçon
word: spark
word: speck
word: speckle
word: spot
word: sprinkle
word: sprinkling
word: strain
word: tad
word: tidbit
word: tidge
word: tittle
word: toddick
word: touch
word: trace
word: trifle
word: tuppence worth
word: vestige
word: whiff
word: whit
glosses: A very small quantity; a particle.
examples: text: There aroſe a Scruple, nay, it amount to a Queſtion, whether to attempt an Eſcape from my Patron, one that ſo dearly Loved me, ſo fairly bought me, were juſtifiable before God and Men?
ref: 1676, William Okeley, “Sect. VIII. The Contrivance for Our Escape, the Persons Acquainted with It, and also Those that were Engaged in it; Some Debates about Leaving My Patron.”, in Eben-ezer: Or, A Small Monument of Great Mercy, Appearing in the Miraculous Deliverance of William Okeley, William Adams, John Anthony, John Jephs, John— Carpenter, from the Miserable Slavery of Algiers, …, London: Printed for Nat[haniel] Ponder, at the sign of the Peacock in the Poultry near Corn-hill, and in Chancery-Lane near Fleetstreet, →OCLC, page 46:
glosses: A doubt or uncertainty concerning a matter of fact; intellectual perplexity.
Derived terms: scrupleless
scruple-shop
scrupulosity
scrupulous
scrupulously
scrupulousness
unscrupulous
unscrupulously
unscrupulousness