To look at something carefully, usually in order to find something or to get information. She scanned the crowd for any sign of her friend.
To read or look through something quickly. He scanned the article to get the main points.
To use a machine to get an image of the inside of something, such as the body. The doctor scanned the patient's abdomen to check for any abnormalities.
To convert a physical document or image into a digital format using a scanner. She scanned the old photographs to preserve them digitally.
To analyze a line of verse in order to determine its rhythmic pattern. Students were asked to scan the first line of the sonnet for iambic pentameter.