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Skim vs Scan - What's the difference?

skim | scan |

As verbs the difference between skim and scan

is that skim is to pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface while scan is to examine sequentially, part by part.

As an adjective skim

is having lowered fat content.

As a noun scan is

an instance of scanning.

skim

English

Verb

(skimm)
  • To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, / Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main.
  • To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of.
  • * Hazlitt
    • Homer describes Mercury as flinging himself from the top of Olympus, and skimming the surface of the ocean.
  • To hasten along with superficial attention.
  • * I. Watts
    • They skim over a science in a very superficial survey.
  • To put on a finishing coat of plaster.
  • to throw an object so it bounces on water (skimming stones )
  • to ricochet
  • to read quickly, skipping some detail
    • I skimmed the newspaper over breakfast.
  • to scrape off; to remove (something) from a surface
  • to clear (a liquid) from scum or substance floating or lying on it, by means of a utensil that passes just beneath the surface.
    • to skim''' milk; to '''skim broth
  • to clear a liquid from (scum or substance floating or lying on it), especially the cream that floats on top of fresh milk
    • to skim cream

    Derived terms

    * skim through * skim over * skim off * skimmed milk * skimmer * semi-skimmed

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (of milk) Having lowered fat content.

    • Derived terms

    * skim milk

    scan

    English

    Verb

    (scann)
  • To examine sequentially, part by part.
  • (computing) To create a digital copy of an image using a scanner.
  • To look about for.
    • He scanned the horizon.
  • (poetry) To fit or conform to a specific meter.
  • (obsolete) To mount by steps; to go through with step by step.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • An instance of scanning.
    • The operators vacated the room during the scan .
  • The result or output of a scanning process.
    • The doctors looked at the scans and made a diagnosis.

    See also

    * pan and scan * scanlate * scanlation * scanlator * scanner

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * English contranyms