Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

lexical scope
     
         (Or "static scope") In a lexically scoped
        language, the {scope} of an {identifier} is fixed at {compile
        time} to some region in the {source code} containing the
        identifier's declaration.  This means that an identifier is
        only accessible within that region (including procedures
        declared within it).
     
        This contrasts with {dynamic scope} where the scope depends on
        the nesting of {procedure} and {function} calls at {run time}.
     
        Statically scoped languages differ as to whether the scope is
        limited to the smallest {block} (including {begin}/end blocks)
        containing the identifier's declaration (e.g. {C}, {Perl}) or
        to whole function and procedure bodies (e.g. ?), or some
        larger unit of code (e.g. ?).  The former is known as {static
        nested scope}.
     
        (2001-09-07)