scruple


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Related to scruple: solicitously

scru·ple

 (skro͞o′pəl)
n.
1. An uneasy feeling arising from conscience or principle that tends to hinder action: "He would have taken any life with as little scruple as he took my money" (Charles Dickens).
2. A unit of apothecary weight equal to about 1.3 grams, or 20 grains.
3. A minute part or amount.
intr.v. scru·pled, scru·pling, scru·ples
To hesitate as a result of conscience or principle: "A man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket" (John Dennis).

[Middle English scrupul, from Old French scrupule, from Latin scrūpulus, small unit of measurement, scruple, diminutive of scrūpus, rough stone, scruple.]
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.

scruple

(ˈskruːpəl)
n
1. (often plural) a doubt or hesitation as to what is morally right in a certain situation
2. archaic a very small amount
3. (Units) a unit of weight equal to 20 grains (1.296 grams)
4. (Units) an ancient Roman unit of weight equivalent to approximately one twenty-fourth of an ounce
vb
(obsolete when tr) to have doubts (about), esp for a moral reason
[C16: from Latin scrūpulus a small weight, from scrūpus rough stone]
ˈscrupleless adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

scru•ple

(ˈskru pəl)

n., v. -pled, -pling. n.
1. a moral or ethical consideration that restrains one's behavior and inhibits certain actions.
2. a very small amount.
3. a unit of apothecaries' weight equal to 20 grains (1.295 grams) or ? of a dram.
v.i.
4. to hesitate because of scruples; waver.
[1525–30; (< Middle French scrupule) < Latin scrūpulus unit of weight, worry, derivative of scrūpus rough pebble]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

scruple


Past participle: scrupled
Gerund: scrupling

Imperative
scruple
scruple
Present
I scruple
you scruple
he/she/it scruples
we scruple
you scruple
they scruple
Preterite
I scrupled
you scrupled
he/she/it scrupled
we scrupled
you scrupled
they scrupled
Present Continuous
I am scrupling
you are scrupling
he/she/it is scrupling
we are scrupling
you are scrupling
they are scrupling
Present Perfect
I have scrupled
you have scrupled
he/she/it has scrupled
we have scrupled
you have scrupled
they have scrupled
Past Continuous
I was scrupling
you were scrupling
he/she/it was scrupling
we were scrupling
you were scrupling
they were scrupling
Past Perfect
I had scrupled
you had scrupled
he/she/it had scrupled
we had scrupled
you had scrupled
they had scrupled
Future
I will scruple
you will scruple
he/she/it will scruple
we will scruple
you will scruple
they will scruple
Future Perfect
I will have scrupled
you will have scrupled
he/she/it will have scrupled
we will have scrupled
you will have scrupled
they will have scrupled
Future Continuous
I will be scrupling
you will be scrupling
he/she/it will be scrupling
we will be scrupling
you will be scrupling
they will be scrupling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been scrupling
you have been scrupling
he/she/it has been scrupling
we have been scrupling
you have been scrupling
they have been scrupling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been scrupling
you will have been scrupling
he/she/it will have been scrupling
we will have been scrupling
you will have been scrupling
they will have been scrupling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been scrupling
you had been scrupling
he/she/it had been scrupling
we had been scrupling
you had been scrupling
they had been scrupling
Conditional
I would scruple
you would scruple
he/she/it would scruple
we would scruple
you would scruple
they would scruple
Past Conditional
I would have scrupled
you would have scrupled
he/she/it would have scrupled
we would have scrupled
you would have scrupled
they would have scrupled
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

scruple

A unit of mass in the apothecaries’ system equal to 20 grains.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited

Scruple

A unit of weight. There are three scruples to a dram and eight drams to an ounce.
1001 Words and Phrases You Never Knew You Didn’t Know by W.R. Runyan Copyright © 2011 by W.R. Runyan
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.scruple - a unit of apothecary weight equal to 20 grains
apothecaries' unit, apothecaries' weight - any weight unit used in pharmacy; an ounce is equal to 480 grains and a pound is equal to 12 ounces
grain - 1/60 dram; equals an avoirdupois grain or 64.799 milligrams
drachm, drachma, dram - a unit of apothecary weight equal to an eighth of an ounce or to 60 grains
2.scruple - uneasiness about the fitness of an actionscruple - uneasiness about the fitness of an action
anxiety - a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune
3.scruple - an ethical or moral principle that inhibits action
principle - a rule or standard especially of good behavior; "a man of principle"; "he will not violate his principles"
Verb1.scruple - hesitate on moral grounds; "The man scrupled to perjure himself"
pause, hesitate - interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing; "The speaker paused"
2.scruple - raise scruples; "He lied and did not even scruple about it"
fret, fuss, niggle - worry unnecessarily or excessively; "don't fuss too much over the grandchildren--they are quite big now"
3.scruple - have doubts about
wonder, question - place in doubt or express doubtful speculation; "I wonder whether this was the right thing to do"; "she wondered whether it would snow tonight"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

scruple

noun misgiving, hesitation, qualm, doubt, difficulty, caution, reluctance, second thoughts, uneasiness, perplexity, compunction, squeamishness, twinge of conscience a man with no moral scruples
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

scruple

noun
1. A feeling of uncertainty about the fitness or correctness of an action:
The 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

scruple

[ˈskruːpl]
A. Nescrúpulo m
a person of no scruplesuna persona sin escrúpulos
he is entirely without scruplesno tiene conciencia
to have no scruples aboutno tener escrúpulos acerca de ...
to make no scruple to do sthno tener escrúpulos para hacer algo
B. VI (frm) not to scruple to do sthno vacilar en hacer algo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

scruple

[ˈskruːpəl] nscrupule m
to overcome one's scruples → faire taire ses scrupules
He overcame his scruples → Il a fait taire ses scrupules.
to have no scruples about doing sth → n'avoir aucun scrupule à faire qch
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

scruple

nSkrupel m; scruples (= doubts)(moralische) Bedenken pl; to be without scruplekeine Skrupel haben; to have no scruples about somethingbei einer Sache keine Skrupel haben; to have no scruples about doing somethingkeine Skrupel haben, etw zu tun
vi I did not scruple to accept his offerich hatte keine Skrupel or Bedenken, sein Angebot anzunehmen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

scruple

[ˈskruːpl] nscrupolo
to have no scruples about doing sth → non avere scrupoli a fare qc
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

scru·ple

n. escrúpulo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
The Partridge earnestly begged him to spare his life, saying, "Pray, master, permit me to live and I will entice many Partridges to you in recompense for your mercy to me." The Fowler replied, "I shall now with less scruple take your life, because you are willing to save it at the cost of betraying your friends and relations."
For your sake, and for Norah's, I am going to let you know what the scruple really is which has misled her into the pride and folly of refusing you.
If I have a scruple about signing my name to an engagement of which I know nothing, why should you visit it on me so severely?
Do not scruple to come and see me, Makar Alexievitch.
Besides this, I observed that the men made no scruple to set themselves out, and to go a-fortunehunting, as they call it, when they had really no fortune themselves to demand it, or merit to deserve it; and that they carried it so high, that a woman was scarce allowed to inquire after the character or estate of the person that pretended to her.
And I scruple not to affirm, that it is infinitely less likely that either of them should gain an ascendant in the national councils, than that the one or the other of them should predominate in all the local councils.
He spoke to people looking them full in the face without affectation, it is true, but without scruple; so that the brilliancy of his black eyes became so insupportable, that more than one look had sunk beneath his like the weaker sword in a single combat.
He has made no scruple of preferring the testimony of Father du Bernat to the writings of all the Portuguese Jesuits, to whom he allows great zeal, but little learning, without giving any other reason than that his favourite was a Frenchman.
And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected other precautions, is ruined; because friendships that are obtained by payments, and not by greatness or nobility of mind, may indeed be earned, but they are not secured, and in time of need cannot be relied upon; and men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.
Tim's head being powdered like a twelfth cake, and his spectacles copied with great nicety, strangers detected a close resemblance to him at the first glance, and this leading them to suspect that the other must be his wife, and emboldening them to say so without scruple, Mrs Linkinwater grew very proud of these achievements in time, and considered them among the most successful likenesses she had ever painted.
Since, therefore, upon the strictest examination, my own conscience cannot lay any such pitiful theft to my charge, I am contented to plead guilty to the former accusation; nor shall I ever scruple to take to myself any passage which I shall find in an antient author to my purpose, without setting down the name of the author from whence it was taken.
My only scruple in advising the match was on his account, as being beneath his deserts, and a bad connexion for him.