Definitions

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

  • noun Analysis of verse into metrical patterns.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of scanning; the measuring of a verse by feet in order to see whether the quantities are duly observed.

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

  • noun (Pros.) The act of scanning; distinguishing the metrical feet of a verse by emphasis, pauses, or otherwise.

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

  • noun The rhythm or meter of a line or verse.
  • noun The act of analysing the meter of poetry.

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

  • noun analysis of verse into metrical patterns

Etymologies

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

[Late Latin scānsiō, scānsiōn-, from Latin, act of climbing, from scānsus, past participle of scandere, to climb; see skand- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Late Latin scanscionem, accusative singular of scansiō ("the act of climbing"), from scandō ("I climb").

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Examples

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  • Nine out of ten physicians agree that excessive scansion is a leading cause of scancer.

    January 10, 2009