scope

Etymology 1

From Italian scopo (“purpose”), from Latin scopus (“target”), from Ancient Greek σκοπός (skopós), from σκέπτομαι (sképtomai), from Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-. Etymologically related to skeptic and spectrum.

noun

1. The breadth, depth or reach of a subject; a domain.
2. (weaponry) A device used in aiming a projectile, through which the person aiming looks at the intended target.
   Coastie yanked her eye away from the night scope when those big lights were caught by it and amplified in intensity. Her entire view had gone white in an instant. “I can't see!” Temporarily blinded, she let touch become her primary sense, dropped the M40, and grabbed her alternate weapon, an M16 with an ACOG day scope that was already registered for the same distance. 2014, Sgt. Jack Coughlin, Donald A. Davis, On Scope: A Sniper Novel, St. Martin's Press
3. Opportunity; broad range; degree of freedom.
   It is also true that the vast majority of teachers are highly skilled and experienced professionals who are already doing an excellent job in the classroom, thus leaving relatively little scope for improvement. 2001, Mike Hughes, Andy Vass, Strategies for Closing the Learning Gap, page 19
   She had in fact put in a resume at another firm that gave their graphics team much more scope. 2014, Mary Kitt-Neel, Lie Down in Princess Position
4. (programming) The region of program source code in which a given identifier is meaningful, or a given object can be accessed.
   A variable's scope is the region of a program within which the variable can be referred to by its simple name. Secondarily, scope also determines when the system creates and destroys memory for the variable. Scope is distinct from visibility, which applies only to member variables and determines whether the variable can be used from outside of the class within which it is declared. 2001, Mary Campione, Kathy Walrath, Alison Huml, The Java Tutorial: A Short Course on the Basics, Addison-Wesley Professional, page 72
5. (logic) The shortest sub-wff of which a given instance of a logical connective is a part.
6. (linguistics) The region of an utterance to which some modifying element applies.
   the scope of an adverb
7. (slang) A periscope, telescope, microscope or oscilloscope.
8. (medicine, colloquial) Any medical procedure that ends in the suffix -scopy, such as endoscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, etc.

verb

1. (informal, transitive) To perform a cursory investigation of; scope out.
   We don't know, so let's scope the action before having another shoot out. 2004, Don Harris, The Drunk
   “Let's scope the scene.” The gang advanced, searching for humanity. 2012, Khalid Patel, Hollow Shotguns
2. (medicine, colloquial) To perform any medical procedure that ends in the suffix -scopy, such as endoscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, etc.
   The surgeon will scope the football player's knee to repair damage to a ligament.
3. To define the scope of something.
   Before scoping the investigation and developing a work plan, it is necessary to establish reasonable goals and objectives. 2003, An Introduction to Characterizing Sites Contaminated with DNAPLs, page 10
   The purpose of witness interviews is multi-faceted but generally includes scoping the investigation, understanding the facts and issues at play, and assessing the accountability of individuals and possible defences for the company and[…] 2018-01-19, Judith Seddon, Practitioner's Guide to Global Investigations, Law Business Research Ltd.
4. (programming) To limit (an object or variable) to a certain region of program source code.
   If we locally scope the user's login name, it won't be accessible from outside this function.
5. (informal) To examine under a microscope.
   The entomologist explained that he could not tell what species of springtail we were looking at without scoping it.
6. (birdwatching, informal) To observe a bird using a spotting scope.
   `Maybe there was another darker bird and it had flown away before we could scope it?' `Yes there must have been,' came the grim-faced reply. 2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 199

Etymology 2

Latin scopa

noun

1. (obsolete) A bundle, as of twigs.