peruse

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   examine or consider with attention and in detail

   Please peruse this report at your leisure.

2. 2
   verb

   To examine or consider with care.

   Sitting on a low stool, a few yards from her arm-chair, I examined her figure; I perused her features.

3. 3
   verb

   To read completely.

   This survey may be made by perusing al Books and taking notice of all Mechanicall Inventions.

4. 4
   verb

   To look over casually; to skim.

   Haynes quickly perused the message, then took it to the captain on the bridge.

From either Medieval Latin perūtor, perūsitō (“wear out”)) or Anglo-Norman peruser (“use up”)), originally leading to two concurrent meanings, but only those derived from "to examine" survive today. By surface analysis, per- + use.

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