peruse
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peruse
read through thoroughly; examine in detail: peruse a map
Not to be confused with:
pursue – trail, hunt; follow close upon: pursue the escapee; continue to discuss or study: pursue the options; go on with: pursue an education
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
pe·ruse
(pə-ro͞oz′)tr.v. pe·rused, pe·rus·ing, pe·rus·es
1. To read or examine, typically with great care.
2. Usage Problem To glance over; skim.
[Middle English perusen, to use up : Latin per-, per- + Middle English usen, to use; see use.]
pe·rus′a·ble adj.
pe·rus′al n.
pe·rus′er n.
Usage Note: Peruse has long meant "to read thoroughly," as in He perused the contract until he was satisfied that it met all of his requirements, which was acceptable to 75 percent of the Usage Panel in our 2011 survey. But the word is often used more loosely, to mean simply "to read," as in The librarians checked to see which titles had been perused in the last month and which ones had been left untouched. Seventy percent of the Panel rejected this example in 1999, but only 39 percent rejected it in 2011. Further extension of the word to mean "to glance over, skim" has traditionally been considered an error, but our ballot results suggest that it is becoming somewhat more acceptable. When asked about the sentence I only had a moment to peruse the manual quickly, 66 percent of the Panel found it unacceptable in 1988, 58 percent in 1999, and 48 percent in 2011. Use of the word outside of reading contexts, as in We perused the shops in the downtown area, is often considered a mistake.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
peruse
(pəˈruːz)vb (tr)
1. to read or examine with care; study
2. to browse or read through in a leisurely way
[C15 (meaning: to use up): from per- (intensive) + use]
peˈrusal n
peˈruser n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pe•ruse
(pəˈruz)v.t. -rused, -rus•ing.
1. to read through with thoroughness or care: to peruse a report.
2. to read in an often desultory way.
3. to survey or examine in detail.
pe•rus′a•ble, adj.
pe•rus′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
peruse
Past participle: perused
Gerund: perusing
| Imperative |
|---|
| peruse |
| peruse |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Verb | 1. | peruse - examine or consider with attention and in detail; "Please peruse this report at your leisure" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
peruse
verb read, study, scan, check, examine, inspect, browse, look through, eyeball (slang), work over, scrutinize, run your eye over She was perusing a copy of Life magazine.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
peruse
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
tarkastelututkiatutkimus
lesalesa gaumgæfilega
peruse
[pəˈruːz] VT [+ book, menu] → leer detenidamente, examinar con detenimiento; [+ crowd] → examinar con detenimiento; [+ exhibition] → ver con detenimientoCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
peruse
vt → (durch)lesen; (carefully) → sorgfältig durchsehen, prüfen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995