Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To read or examine, typically with great care.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To go through searchingly or carefully; run over with careful scrutiny; examine throughout or in detail; inspect; survey; scan; scrutinize.
  • To read through carefully or with attention.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb rare To observe; to examine with care.
  • transitive verb To read through; to read carefully.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An examination or perusal; an instance of perusing.
  • verb transitive To examine or consider with care.
  • verb transitive To read completely.
  • verb transitive, informal To look over casually; to skim.
  • verb intransitive, regional To go from place to place; to wander.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb examine or consider with attention and in detail

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English perusen, to use up : Latin per-, per- + Middle English usen, to use; see use.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From per-+use, from either Medieval Latin (peruti, perusitare ("wear out")) or Anglo-Norman (peruser ("use up")), originally leading two concurrent meanings, but only those derived from "to examine" survive today.

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Examples

  • Navy Captain John Murphy, the lead prosecutor, told the court it was standard practice for the guards to "peruse" written material after a detainee spoke with his attorneys "for force protection."

    David Danzig: Khadr Case Goes Nowhere at Gitmo (Again) 2009

  • Live pictures, again, you see the airboat right there as they kind of peruse these neighborhoods that are now been flooded with these rivers of water looking for folks to rescue.

    CNN Transcript Jun 7, 2008 2008

  • However, "peruse" actually has the opposite meaning.

    Archive 2005-07-01 Fr Timothy Matkin 2005

  • However, "peruse" actually has the opposite meaning.

    Aspects of God? Fr Timothy Matkin 2005

  • [Footnote A: It was Miss Wooler who taught Charlotte to "peruse".]

    The Three Brontës May Sinclair 1904

  • I, for one, always thought "peruse" was a rough synonym for

    Libertarian Blog Place 2010

  • If you would like to "peruse" another article, perhaps you might be interested in my previous article.

    English-writing Israeli-bloggers 2009

  • On the 22nd June the Chamberlain was instructed to prepare with all convenient speed four dozen good _splentes_ and as many good _sallettes_ or _sculles_ for the city’s use, and to cause a bowyer to "peruse" the city’s bows and to put them in such good order that they might be serviceable when required. (

    London and the Kingdom - Volume I

  • You love to peruse their status updates online, but just as a diet of only candy leaves you craving a real meal, those updates are meant to tide you over between interactions.

    Jodi R. R. Smith: Polite Resolutions Jodi R. R. Smith 2011

  • Those celebs who had not yet decided on their final gowns could peruse fashion designer Shekhar Rahate's haute couture Oscar collection, baubles from Amyn of Jewelry on 7th and purses from Timmy Woods handbags.

    Zorianna Kit: 2011 Academy Awards Gifting suites Zorianna Kit 2011

Comments

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  • Consider, you who peruse me, whether I may not in unknown ways be looking upon you ... Whitman, "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry"

    December 11, 2006

  • As seen in a Cracked's 9 Words That Don't Mean What You Think.

    November 26, 2007

  • Examine in detail v. look over casually.

    May 24, 2008

  • He came to a standstill in front of her, and perused her with the expression of an intensely interested haddock. - ''Yashima, or, The Gorgeous West'' by R T Sherwood, 1931.

    December 24, 2008