Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Scan \Scan\ (sk[a^]n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Scanned} (sk[a^]nd);
   p. pr. & vb. n. {Scanning}.] [L. scandere, scansum, to climb,
   to scan, akin to Skr. skand to spring, leap: cf. F. scander.
   Cf. {Ascend}, {Descend}, {Scale} a ladder.]
   1. To mount by steps; to go through with step by step. [Obs.]

            Nor stayed till she the highest stage had scand.
                                                  --Spenser.

Source : WordNet®

scan
     v 1: examine minutely or intensely; "the surgeon scanned the
          X-ray"
     2: examine hastily; "She scanned the newspaper headlines while
        waiting for the taxi" [syn: {skim}, {rake}, {glance over},
         {run down}]
     3: make a wide, sweeping search of; "The beams scanned the
        night sky"
     4: conform to a metrical pattern
     5: move a light beam over; in electronics, to reproduce an
        image
     6: read metrically; "scan verses"
     7: obtain data from magnetic tapes; "This dictionary can be
        read by the computer" [syn: {read}]
     [also: {scanning}, {scanned}]

scanning
     n 1: the process of translating photographs into a digital form
          that can be recognized by a computer
     2: the act of systematically moving a finely focused beam of
        light or electrons over a surface in order to produce an
        image of it for analysis or transmission

scan
     n 1: the act of scanning; systematic examination of a prescribed
          region; "he made a thorough scan of the beach with his
          binoculars"
     2: an image produced by scanning; "he analyzed the brain scan";
        "you could see the tumor in the CAT scan" [syn: {CAT scan}]
     [also: {scanning}, {scanned}]

scanning
     See {scan}