scope

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The range of one's perceptions, thoughts, or actions.
2. n. Breadth or opportunity to function. See Synonyms at room.
3. n. The area covered by a given activity or subject. See Synonyms at range.
4. n. The length or sweep of a mooring cable.
5. n. Informal A viewing instrument such as a periscope, microscope, or telescope.
6. v. Slang 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).

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. An obsolete or dialectal form of scoop. Halliwell.
2. n. A bundle, as of twigs.
3. n. A mark to shoot at; a target.
4. n. That which is aimed at; end or aim kept or to be kept in view; that which is to be reached or accomplished; ultimate design, aim, or purpose; intention.
5. n. Outlook; intellectual range or view: as, a mind of wide scope.
6. n. Room for free outlook or aim; range or field of free observation or action; room; space.
7. n. Extent; length; sweep; (nautical) length of cable or anchor-chain at which a vessel rides when at anchor: as, scope of cable.
8. n. A wide tract.
9. n. A liberty; a license enjoyed; hence, an act of riot or excess.
10. An obsolete form of scoup.

Wiktionary

1. n. A short version of periscope, or telescope or oscilloscope
2. n. The breadth, depth or reach of a subject; a domain.
3. n. a device used in aiming a projectile, through which the person aiming looks at the intended target
4. n. The region of program source in which an identifier is meaningful.
5. v. To perform a cursory investigation, as to scope out.
6. v. To perform arthroscopic surgery.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. 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.
2. n. 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.
3. n. Extended area.
4. n. Length; extent; sweep.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the state of the environment in which a situation exists
2. n. an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control:
3. n. a magnifier of images of distant objects
4. n. electronic equipment that provides visual images of varying electrical quantities