Definition of "scope" in English

noun

1. The breadth, depth or reach of a subject; the extent of applicability or relevance; a domain, purview or remit.

   • Environmental impacts lie outside the scope of this report.
   • Such transactions fall within the scope of VAT.

2. (weaponry) A device used in aiming a projectile, through which the person aiming looks at the intended target.

3. Potential range of action; degree of freedom; opportunity.

   • My job doesn't give me much scope for personal development.

4. (programming) The region of program source code in which a given identifier is meaningful, or a given object can be accessed.

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. Ellipsis of any word ending in -scope, such as endoscope, periscope, telescope, microscope, oscilloscope, and so on.

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.

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.

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.

noun

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