Word of the Day : June 13, 2019

scrutinize \SKROO-tuh-nyze\ verb

Definition

1 : to examine closely and minutely   

2 : to make a scrutiny

Did You Know?

A close look at the etymology of scrutinize reveals that the word stems from the Latin verb scrutari (meaning "to search" or "to examine"), which in turn probably comes from scruta (meaning "trash," or more specifically "a mixture of worthwhile articles and trash"). In the 15th century, scrutari gave us the noun scrutiny, a word that originally meant "a formal vote" and then "an official examination of votes." Scrutinize retained reference to voting, with the meaning "to examine votes," at least into the 18th century. (But even today in Britain, a scrutineer is a person who counts votes.)

Aired June 13, 2019

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com