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Inspect vs Peruse - What's the difference?

inspect | peruse |

As verbs the difference between inspect and peruse

is that inspect is to examine critically or carefully; especially, to search out problems or determine condition; to scrutinize while peruse is to examine or consider with care.

As a noun peruse is

an examination or perusal; an instance of perusing.

inspect

English

Alternative forms

* enspect

Verb

(en verb)
  • To examine critically or carefully; especially, to search out problems or determine condition; to scrutinize.
  • To view and examine officially.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=6 citation , passage=‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”. […]’.}}

    Derived terms

    * inspector * inspection

    Anagrams

    * *

    peruse

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An examination or perusal; an instance of perusing.
  • * 2008 , Dave Robson, " Hi-tea, low cost!", Evening Gazette online, September 12,
    • A peruse of the website looked promising

    Verb

    (perus)
  • To examine or consider with care.
  • * {{quote-book, 1847,
    • , passage=Sitting on a low stool, a few yards from her arm-chair, I examined her figure; I perused her features.}}
  • To read completely.
  • * {{quote-book, 1887,
    • , passage=We are for reasons that, after perusing this manuscript, you may be able to guess, going away again this time to Central Asia
  • (informal) To look over casually; to skim.
  • * {{quote-book, 2001, Doug Stanton, In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis, page=35 citation
    • , passage=Haynes quickly perused the message, then took it to the captain on the bridge. }}
  • * {{quote-book, 2005, , Acid Alex, page=98 citation
    • , passage=She asked Denise for the court file, which she fussed from her handbag. The woman perused it briefly and then beamed up at me.}}
  • (regional) To go from place to place; to wander.
  • * {{quote-book, 1957, , The Old Man And The Boy, page=55 citation
    • , passage=I loved to straggle off in the mornings

    Usage notes

    * The sense of "skimming" is proscribed by some authorities on usage, including the Oxford American Dictionary''. The shift, however, is not dissimilar to that found in (scan). The ''Oxford English Dictionary further notes that the word was used as a general synonym for (read) as far back as the 16th century.

    Derived terms

    * perusable * perusal * peruser

    Anagrams

    * * ----